Alan and Ruby Inkster’s gardens began with the planting of several saplings in a 60-acre site. Once they had grown, the site was opened to the public in 1997, named Da Gairdins—the local Scots dialect for “the gardens.” The Inksters planted their many trees, pampas grasses, cabbage trees and variety of other vegetation not native to Shetland in part to show naysayers that it could be done. Located in the North Atlantic, Shetland is the northernmost part of Scotland. Similar to Iceland, which is famously but incorrectly said to not have…
