A leisurely stroll through the magnificent gardens will take on average around one and a half hours, but for those with a little more time on their hands there is so much more to do and see. In the Garden House you can sit a while over a coffee or browse through a plethora of informative gardening books in the custom-built library section. However, the purpose of this article is to look at the early history of Leu Gardens and, in particular, the part Harry P Leu played in its development.

At the heart of the the gardens in The Leu House Museum which is on the National Register of Historic Places. Guided tours, illustrating turn of the 20th century living, are available to visitors and last around twenty minutes.

Originally The Leu House was simple farm-house with five rooms built in 1888 by the first landowners, the Mizell family. Subsequent owners made further additions to the property and Joseph Woodward completed the house as it is seen today.

After Woodward’s wife died in 1928 the estate went into trust and was rented out until it was bought by Harry P Leu in 1936 for the pricely sum of $40,000.

Harry P Leu was born in Orlando in 1884 and became an extremely astute and well-respected businessman. After graduating from college he worked locally for a boiler repair company called Cain & O’Berry. Leu worked his way up through the ranks before taking time out in New York to develop his business acumen even further.

On returning to Orlando, Leu eventually gained control of Cain & O’Berry and changed its name to Harry P Leu Inc, which then became an industrial supply company with offices in Miami and Tampa.

He bought Leu House in 1936 and set about major renovation work, which included the installation of central electricity and plumbing.

Away from the house Harry Leu had a great interest in plants and flowers. With his wife they embarked on several trips around the world bringing back many of the exotic plant varieties seen in the gardens today.

In 1961, the house and their beautiful gardens were given to the city of Orlando. This was Leu’s way of giving something back to the community where he had made his fortune.    The deed stipulated that the estate would always remain a botanical garden, for enjoyment and education of the people.  

The Leus hoped the house and gardens would attract people from all over the world. If they had been around today they would have seen that dream become reality.

However there is a lot more to see, and Leu cleverly designed the gardens into separate zones to maximise their impact on the visitor.

On arrival a path leads to the Tropical Stream Garden, which was completed in the year 2000. Follow the meandering stream down to the shore of Lake Rowenta and marvel at lush vegetation and babbling natural spring. Here Harry P Leu has created a garden with the look and feel of the tropics with plantings of banana, ginger, tree ferns, and palms to name but a few.

The Wetland Garden and Wycoff Overlook on Lake Rowenta was replanted with native aquatic plants around ten years ago. Today it is teeming with all sorts of wildlife including wading birds, dragonflies, turtles, and even the occasional alligator.

From the boardwalk the visitor will come across not only native Florida aquatic plants but also water lilies and lakeshore mangrove.

For the amateur gardener there are two zones dedicated to plants native to Florida.

The Home Demonstration Garden showcases different plant groups including annual and perennial flowers, vines, ground covers, fragrant flowers, ornamental grasses and textured plants. For those short of space the Urban Patio Garden features tub plants and vines that can thrive in courtyard settings.

Then there is the Bird Garden with plants that attract a range of migratory and native birds including the Florida Scrub Jay and Hummingbird.

The Butterfly Garden is planted with flowers and plants that supply nectar and attract many different types of butterfly.

Additionally there is the Enabling Garden, which features a variety of plants on raised beds ideal for wheelchair users and the Evening Garden is full of highly scented flowers and herbs in pale hues which stimulate the senses.

There also separate sections for vegetables, wildflowers, grasses and herbs.

In summary Harry P Leu has created a horticultural masterpiece so diverse that it is guaranteed to attract all types of garden lover from all over the world.

A visit is highly recommended.