A lush and roomy space by Lake Rowena near the heady midst of downtown Orlando that makes the ideal escape from the busy theme parks and resorts.
With hundreds of plants including sub-tropical and tropical flowers, roses, cacti and herbs set in beautiful gardens that spread for 200,000 square metres under the Florida sun, the Harry P Leu Gardens offer a place of respite to which many people flock to escape the crowds of Orlando’s big attractions. On the shores of Lake Rowena, it offers stunning green space where you can lose yourself for hours.
At the heart of the garden, you’ll find the Leu House Museum, built in 1888. Through the decades it has been owned by four different families, but it was not until 1961 that its last owners Harry P Leu and his wife Mary Jane donated the house and its gardens to the City of Orlando. You can go on a guided tour through the house and admire its historic décor and furniture if you book in advance.
Look round Mary Jane’s Rose Garden, where you can take in the scenery and the scents as you admire over 215 different varieties of roses growing there. All suited to the central Florida climate, the cooler months are the best time to visit as you’ll get to see the flowers at full bloom.
Elsewhere in the stunning surroundings you’ll be able to find one of North America’s largest collections of camellias, in bloom from November through to March. Among the rest of the highlights you’ll find bamboo and cycads, dozens of different varieties of azaleas, a ginger plant collection, a tropical steam garden, a buttery fly garden, as well as orchids, ferns and herbs, and so much more.
In the gardens there are several kilometres of shaded walkways along which you can wander whilst admiring the elm, oak and camphor trees. A particularly striking sight is the floral clock with a face that changes in time with the seasons.
Open throughout the year except Christmas Day, the gardens will always have something to offer whenever you visit through the year. It’s a good idea to take some insect repellent along with you too. If you head along on the first Monday of every month you’ll be able to get in for free. The site also has its own horticultural library as well as a gift shop, so it’s worth spending a couple of hours looking round. Bear in mind however there are no eateries on the site.
