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Despite its windswept nature and rocky terrain a wide variety of plants flourish on the Island. At the right time of year Old Hill is covered with a golden drift of narcissi and for those with eyes to see wild orchids flourish among the ancient quarries.
Behind the rows of terraced cottages and small houses in Portland are many well kept secrets, beautiful small hidden gardens, carefully tended and filled with plants many of which would more usually be found in far warmer climates than Britain. Some of these gardens are now open to the public, both under the National Gardens Scheme and by appointment. Two gardens are open in February and march for hellebores. No other flower seems to have quite the hold over the keen gardener as the sight of a new seedling flowering for the first time, anything from cream to almost ink black, striped and spotted. The wild hellebore is found right across Europe, mainly in the Balkans, but Great Britain does have her own species. The beautiful hybrids have all been developed by man (or woman!).
Chilean Lantern Tree (crindendron hookerianum) and Australian Bottle Brush (callistemon) are both eye-catching when in flower, the lantern tree with its stunning large scarlet global wax flowers delights the eye from mid June until early July when the Bottle brush takes up the same colour scheme.
One Portland garden has a National collection of Penstemon, under the umbrella of the NCCPG (national Council for the preservation of Plants and Gardens). At present they have up to two hundred different varieties both hybrid and specie ranging from two to three feet in height with a colour range from white to a very dark maroon.
The specie are mainly in the blue-mauve range. The garden featured in Gardeners World when Gay Search and the team spent the day filming (The Portland Dough Cake went down a treat!)
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