Ilnacullin Gardens, County Cork

From the Casita a path winds south through more exotic plantings, including a fine specimen of the New Zealand shrub Pseudowintera colorata whose leathery, aromatic leaves are coloured yellow-green and dark crimson underneath. Shooting upwards is an example of the rarely seen Toatoa pine (Phyllocladus glaucus), with varieties of embotherium, lomatia, stranvaesia and pieris beneath. From here the visitor emerges onto a long, grassy vista known as the Happy Valley delimited on either side by impressive outcrops of rock, some of which have rambling roses trained over them. At one end a small, roofless Grecian temple surmounted on a terrace overlooks the sea, while at the bottom of the valley lies a lily pond with canes of the bamboo Arundinaria japonica attractively overhanging it. Along the course of the valley is quite a varied collection of trees and shrubs, including an example of the pendulous Dacrydium franklinii and a very tall specimen of the New Zealand rimu (Dacrydium cupressinum). There are some particularly magnificent rhododendrons along the east end of the valley together with the evergreen Lyonothamnus floribundus asplendifolius from California and an example of Chamaecyparis lawsoniana 'Ellwoodii' that has grown remarkably tall in the island's balmy conditions.

A broad flight of steps leads up to the Martello tower, built in 1805 on the highest point of the island; here one has a delightful panorama of the whole garden and landscape beyond. From the tower the path leads downhill to a walled kitchen garden dominated by a tall folly built in one corner. The main path, with attractive matching gates at each end, is flanked by wide herbaceous borders brimming with varieties of aster, phlox, campanula, dianthus, centaurea, delphinium and erigeron. A cross-path focuses upon a Roman sarcophagus where a specimen of Michelia doltsopa thrives. The attractive stone and brick walls of the garden support a fine collection of climbing plants, but sadly the garden's perimeter paths are no longer properly maintained and access is denied to visitors.

From the Walled Garden one emerges into the old tennis court area, lushly bedded with many tender plants including varieties of grevillea, olearia, magnolia, rhododendron, viburnum, azara, fuchsia, camelia and ceanothus. A large expanse of lawn between this area and the Casita provides some relief from the dense planting of the island and is a peaceful place to relax in after journeying through the gardens. There is no tea house on the island, so visitors should come with a plentiful picnic and be prepared to spend much of the day in this enchanted place. It should be noted that the exorbitant boat fares to the island do not include admission charges into the garden, which are modest.

Located on an island in Bantry Bay, near Glengarriff. NGR: V 935550. Open daily, March - October. Toilet facilities. Admission fee.

From the Appletree Press title: Irish Gardens.