After spending ten days touring the spectacular beauty of Iceland, I am left with many vivid memories of waterfalls, geysers, puffins, and volcanic areas. One pleasant surprise was a visit to the Skrudur Botanical Garden. It is located on the banks of Dyrafiord Bay which is one of western Iceland’s many deep fjords. In 1909, this teaching garden was founded by Sigtryggur Gudlaugsson, a Protestant pastor and a teacher at the neighboring boarding school.
The gardens were created with assistance from his students. The first project was to build a beautiful stone wall to define the space. After digging and preparing the soil, they planted trees, flowers, herbs, and vegetables. The goal was to teach the students what is involved in creating a garden, how to work the land, and, of course, to learn about plants and trees. Their hard work improving the soil was apparently successful as all the plantings are robust. Reverend Gudlaugsson was a pioneer in growing vegetables in the country.
The garden’s green abundance is such a contrast to the surrounding barren landscape. Upon arrival, we were greeted by a charming gate that serves as entry into this magical space. As you walk through this secret garden, all your senses are put on high alert – water sounds, lush colors, and a variety of lovely smells embrace you. Rowan trees (Sorbus aucuparia) are planted within the wall, and they are believed to have a protective ability to keep people, animals, and even spirits safe.
Within the interior is a fine vegetable garden which is protected from strong winds, a small greenhouse, a gorgeous fountain, and stunning views – all of which create a peaceful sense of serenity.
Skrudur Botanical Garden demonstrates what is possible on the edge of the Arctic circle. An enormous magnitude of work was invested in this space and the result was well worth the effort.
The Icelandic poet Guðmundur Ingi Kristjánsson described the garden like this in 1938:
Skrúður is a smiling mark
that deserves to be seen
which shows how mild and powerful
the earth of your land can be.
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