522A - Garden Parks I - Skrúður in Dýrafjörður 100th anniversary

The garden Skrúður (Ornament) in the northen part of Dýrafjörður in the Westfjords, close to the School of Nupur, is one of the oldest and most remarkable garden parks in Iceland. It was formally established on August 7th 1909. “Skrúðgarður”, the Icelandic word for a garden park, derives from its name. Pastor Sigtryggur Guðlaugsson, the dean of Nupur, started growing vegetables and cultivating a garden in connection with his school for youth at Nupur. The garden was to be utilized for teaching botany and cultivation. The goal was to provide vegetables for the students and demonstrate the fertility of Icelandic soil. Many rare plants can be found in the garden. Skrúður’s most outstanding feature is the Europa larch which was probably planted in 1910. It has long ago become the largest tree in the country and is considered to be one of Iceland’s most remarkable trees.