A particular lovely morning, we are on our last trip to Garinish Island in 2011. You see it as the dark silhouette at the right side of the photograph.
There are still flowering shrubs like those two miniature fuchsias in pink and in crimson red and also most of the Eucryphias. Some leaves are as pretty as flowers like those of the huckleberry (Gaylussacia).
Eucryphia lucida pleases with a lovely smell reminding of jasmine.
One of Murdo Mackenzie’s favourite plants were all kinds of Acer palmatum (Japanese Maple). This species Acer palmatum ‘Dissectum Atropurpureum’ in the Happy Valley looks like a burning bush as it is well placed in front of dark foliage.
Gaultheria mucronata (former Pernettya) from Chile and Argentina thrives well in the acidic soil of the island, the beautiful berries are grown for food in South America but their taste is quite neutral. To grow the fruits you have to plant shrubs of different sexes.
garinish island | glengarriff 