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Left to right: Skara Brae; Bodnant Garden; Giant's Causeway GREEN LANDS A journey through the British Isles plants the seed for garden inspiration for Paul Hervey-Brookes. As I approached Ireland on board the Viking Saturn, the calm waters of the Irish Sea shimmered with crystal clarity. You might be fortunate enough to spot a basking shark gliding gracefully beneath the surface. Despite being the world's second-largest shark, this gentle giant poses no threat, as it feeds solely on plankton. This was my first trip to Ireland, and the sea was a lustrous shade of blue. My reasons for travel are nearly always nature-based due to my strong interest in landscapes, gardens and unusual plants. In Dublin, day five of the 15-day British Isles Explorer voyage, I was eager to visit one of the Republic of Ireland's grandest country landscapes, the garden of Powerscourt in Wicklow County—also known as the "Garden of Ireland." This impressive site has many champion tree species, renowned for their enormous size, impressive age, historical significance or overall rarity. Powerscourt has several such trees dating to the 19th century when Lord Powerscourt subscribed to and supported many seed- and plant- collecting expeditions—a recurring theme throughout my voyage. Powerscourt is said to be the third most remarkable landscape garden in Europe, and the sheer extent of work involved in creating its Italian gardens warrant such an accolade. We set sail from Dublin to Anglesey, an island atop North Wales. For plant lovers, there is much to see here, from rare and unusual species to a series of gardens that delight the eye. Perhaps the most famous of these is Bodnant Garden. Overlooking the Conwy Valley, the gardens were started in the early 1870s by five generations of the same family collecting plants and developing the surrounding landscape. 'There is also Pin Mill, a triple-arched Georgian building that Lord Aberconway brought from Gloucestershire and added to the garden. It wouldn't be Anglesey without a visit to Penrhyn Castle, a mansion built on the backs of slate mines and sugar plantations. The walled garden here—although not as well kept as Bodnant—has remnants of its glory days, including plants brought back from the same late 19th-century plant- hunting expeditions. Next, we sailed overnight from Anglesey to Northern Ireland, where I was struck by the verdant, rolling nature of the countryside. From Belfast, I journeyed inland to walk on Giant's Causeway, a natural landscape made after an ancient volcanic eruption. "It wouldn't be Anglesey without a visit to Penrhyn Castle, a mansion built on the backs of slate mines and sugar plantations." 15 | Viking Explorer Society News