Summer In Bloom At Polhawn Fort

The recent May heatwave and June rain have triggered an explosion of flowers at Polhawn Fort!

Throughout the extensive Polhawn gardens, my planting concept echoes the character of our unique location: a blend of the wild and the cultivated. Surrounded by unspoilt land and sea, within an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and a Site of Special Scientific Interest, we encourage native plants to self-seed alongside more curated garden designs. No plant is a “weed” if it looks beautiful and contributes to the enjoyment of the landscape; it is simply a plant in the right place.

Summer sees our half-mile drive bursting with an exuberant mix of native wildflowers in shades of blue, red, white, pink, and varied grey-green foliage. Sea-blue Viper’s Bugloss (Echium vulgare) punctuates drifts of radiant Oxeye Daisies and Common Poppies, blending with clumps of cultivated Osteospermum, Trailing Daisies, Mediterranean Sea Holly, Rugosa Roses, Lavender and Geraniums, White Fleabane (Erigeron glaucus 'Sea Breeze'), purple Foxgloves and wild pink Mallow.

Viewed from the main entrance drawbridge, the magnificent ancient Southern Magnolia (Magnolia grandiflora) will soon come into bloom within the special microclimate sheltered behind the Fort. Some of our semi-tropical specimens, including the Canary Island Date Palm (Phoenix canariensis) and Tree Fern (Dicksonia antarctica), also provide seasonal interest throughout the summer months.

The easy-access path from the end of the car park to the Fort winds past a beautiful rockery planted with Rock Rose, Californian Poppy (Eschscholzia californica), Lavender, Sea Holly and Foxglove. A wildflower bank, adorned with tall white Daisies and pink Campion (Silene dioica), leads down to the sunset-facing lawns.