Established in 1948 by the avid plantswoman Vera Mackie, Guincho is one of Irelands best privately owned gardens with a rich and varied plant collection set in over 12 acres.
A Brief History
The original garden was laid out in the 1930s and when Mr and Mrs Mackie purchased Guincho in 1948 it consisted mainly of herbaceous and bedding plants. It would not be long until Vera Mackie, a fanatical gardener and plantswoman would transform the 12 acre plot into one of the country’s most diverse and interesting plant collections. A visit to Guincho will leave you in no doubt of her genius and legacy.
Formal terraces surrounding the house and a grand sweeping lawn give way to a labyrinth of paths taking the visitor through woodland walks where specimens ranging from across the entire globe can be found and admired. Guincho’s varied topography and maturity provide a seemingly endless selection of reveals and vistas that often evoke lands beyond the shores of County Down.
The garden is now over seventy years old and in 1982 it was added to the Northern Ireland register of gardens of outstanding historical importance. Sadly Vera Mackie died before the fullness of her time but the sheer expanse and volume of planting, designing and landscaping that was carried out during her ownership is testament to her energy and talents.
“After several invitations I managed to visit Guincho, the home and garden of Vera Mackie and her husband. The sun shone on us and on the house, which had a character derived from architecture in Portugal or southern Spain, and stood on what is always a gardener’s dream; good soil and varied terrain.” - Graham Stuart Thomas
After Vera Mackie’s death in 1979 her head gardener faithfully continued to maintain the garden. William Harrison had worked at Guincho since 1956. He had an encyclopaedic knowledge of the garden and was
invited to write about it in the 1982 book ‘In an Irish Garden’ by Helen Dillon and Sybil Connolly. He was devoted to Guincho and was made the fourth honorary member of the Irish Garden Plant Society in recognition of his service to the garden.
Sadly but at least for a relatively short period at the end of the Eighties the garden lay derelict between ownership. By a stroke of good fortune the property was bought by the current owners Mr and Mrs Cairns and William Harrison was wisely employed once again to assume his role as head gardener at Guincho.
Mr Harrison eventually retired after almost half a century of gardening at Guincho. A new chapter would begin after Gail Cairns met gardener Nicholas Burrowes at a horticultural lecture he was giving. Gail invited Nick to take over the maintenance and upkeep of the garden in 1996.
Nick trained in horticulture at Wye College, Kent and had a great passion for plants and propagation which he inevitably passed on to those who worked under him. He loved looking after Guincho and for many years ensured that the garden’s huge plant collection was not only maintained but also added too - an essential activity for ensuring the survival of any garden.
Nick’s tenure as head gardener lasted over twenty years and he presided over many garden visits from various horticultural groups and individuals often organised through the Ulster Open Gardens Scheme. His love of horticulture was infectious and a tour around the garden from Nick was always fun and extremely informative. Sadly Nick passed away in April 2020 after a long illness leaving his successor Adam McMurray to take over the management of the garden. Adam began working for Nick at Guincho in 2001 and although he eventually left to pursue his own gardening career he remained close to Nick and often spent time assisting him at Guincho before returning there in 2019.
Gardeners Adam McMurray and Daryl Young along with the owners Eric and Gail Cairns are ensuring that the garden is being looked after for future generations and enjoyed by those who wish to experience it’s unique charms today.
In 2022 it will be opening for two weekends under the National Garden Scheme NI, it’s first public opening of this kind in almost a decade. For further information on these events and for booking visit the NGS website.
Additionally the garden is now open for private tours between the months of May and September. The small specialist nursery is also open by appointment where
plants propagated from the garden may be purchased.