Well, here we are. The wait is over. May is finally here!

Although I like to think that Leonardslee has something to offer our visitors every day of the year, May is the one month that is etched in my mind as the real feature period when everything here explodes into colour and life. I’m sure I could wax lyrical for pages and pages about every area that will be ready to dazzle you right now but I’ll try and reign myself in and stick to some of the real must-see highlights…

The Loderi Garden

The Loderi Garden and the plants growing there are the reason why Leonardslee is World famous and why people travel for miles to come and see us, so that should be everyone’s starting point. As you walk the myriad of paths through this part of the garden you’ll be stopped in your tracks by the sheer range of colours, the gorgeous scents and the sheer scale of the Rhododendrons and Azaleas blooming away in here during May. Some of my favourites include the deep, glossy red of Rhododendron ‘Oporto’ for instance or the unusual bluey purple of ‘Saint Tudy’. However, the real stars of the show here are the Loderi hybrids. Often cited as the finest Rhododendron hybrid collection ever created, these are termed as ‘glamour’ Rhododendrons, and for good reason. Back in 1901, twelve years after purchasing Leonardslee, Sir Edmund Loder started to breed his collection. He took the pollen from a R. griffithianum sourced from his friend Colonel Godman’s glasshouse across the road at South Lodge and combined that with the female flower parts of his own R. fortunei, and the rest is history. In truth, it took six years for his first cross to flower but he eventually created over 30 Loderi hybrids, some of which didn’t flower until after he sadly passed away in 1920.

The griffithianum parentage provided the large flowers and attractive bark that you see on the plants today while the fortunei genes gave their delicious scent, hardiness and tree-like growth. Today, Leonardslee is the only place where you can find a complete collection of Loderi hybrids and the original specimens truly are a sight to behold. Incidentally, Sir Giles Loder (Edmund’s Grandson) planted the Coronation Garden up the eastern slopes from Leucothoe Pond with another collection of these hybrids, to mark the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II in 1952. If you miss the original Loderi hybrids flowering in early May, the younger specimens in the Coronation Garden are usually slightly behind their siblings and will flower a little later.

These Loderi hybrids, together with many other Rhododendrons bred here at Leonardslee by generations of the Loder family, form part of our recently awarded Plant Heritage National Collection. Look out for signs and further information on some of the key specimens throughout the garden and see how many you can spot.

The Rock Garden

Another unique and fascinating part of the garden that you really cannot afford to miss in May is of course the Rock Garden. The first part of the garden to be created by Sir Edmund Loder once he purchased the estate, and constructed by Pulham & Sons (the Royal-approved Chelsea designers of their day), this area really is an oasis in May. The cloud-pruned Azaleas will be in full bloom this month and perfectly complimented by the emerging Acer foliage above and splashes of newly planted alpines, ferns and herbaceous perennials beneath. With the trickle of the waterfall and the birds and insects flitting merrily about, this is a perfect place to get lost and experience true serenity.

Camellia Grove

Camellia Grove, found down at the south west corner of Waterfall Pond should also be in fine fettle in early May, particularly as the cold April we’ve experienced has delayed things slightly this year. Designed and planted by Sir Giles Loder in 1957, you can spend your time meandering and ambling through the undulating paths here as you admire the range of japonica Camellias on show here. Some of my favourites this year include the perfectly sculpted blooms of ‘Hana Fuki’ or the frosted pink and white flowers of ‘Duchess De Caze’ which look almost good enough to eat. Incidentally Sir Giles was a keen flower exhibitor, winning numerous RHS medals for his displays from the Leonardslee garden, and this is something we might be looking into doing ourselves in the near future too.

To the north of Camellia Grove lie the Bluebell Banks. Aptly named, these slopes on the west side of the lakes are covered in floral rivers of Hyacinthoides non-scripta, or Bluebells to you and me, in May. Delicately scented and a true sign of Spring, bluebells are also a key indicator species for ancient woodland areas like Leonardslee. If you’re lucky you might even spot the odd rare white or pink specimen!

While you’re enjoying all that the garden has to offer during May, the garden team will be busying themselves away with plenty of important tasks. The likes of turf care will become more frequent as temperatures and daylight hours increase so we’ll be making good use of out lawn mowers and edging shears this month. We’ll also be continuing with key planting projects before the weather becomes too hot and dry for young plants to tolerate, so look out for new plants popping up in and around the Rock Garden and in the borders around the Mansion too. Just as our ornamental plants will be putting on a growth spurt in May, so too will the weeds so we’ll be down on our hands and knees in the formal beds and borders again this month. That also applies to pond weeds too so we’ll be manually clearing emerging duck weed from the lakes in May, first leaving it on the side of the water for any aquatic insects to safely return to the water.

I hope you’re as excited as I am to experience Leonardslee in the month of May again this year. It really should be a sight to behold. Have a great month and I look forward to seeing you here in the garden again very soon.

Jamie Harris

Head Gardener