Going to the Harry P Leu Botanical Garden in Orlando is breathtaking. Located in Orlando, Florida, its owner Harry Leu created a private and magical tropical oasis in Central Florida that is now a public trust. The gardens consist of a large camellia dell, a formal rose garden, vegetable and herb, a tropical stream walk, and palm/cycad garden . This visit was during the Christmas holiday and everything seemed to still be blooming including the roses in the beautiful rose garden below.
Many of the gardens contain whimsical sculptures made by a local artist and placed in strategic areas in the different garden rooms.
A beautiful garden house that was used for a guest home and is now adjoining a gorgeous potager.
There’s still alot of color in the gardens here including these beautiful birds of paradise.
A tropical folly view to a gazebo lined with heliconias and huge moss covered oak trees in the background.
This is a more shady tropical garden that leads all the way to a large lake, lots of red ti’s give some highlights to this garden room.
Here’s the large lake that ends from the tropical shade garden….just so serene.
I hope you enjoyed your tour with Noel as much as I! Thank you, Noel, for sharing your beautiful photos and your experience at the Harry P Leu Botanical Garden. Your pictures always come to life!
Noel is hosting my guest blog as well about Frangipanis, or Plumeria. I hope you'll visit at http://www.aplantfanatic.blogspot.com/ .
I'll also be posting for Blooming Friday at Katarinas blog http://rosorochris.blogspot.com/ . Happy Blooming Friday, everyone!
22 comments:
Just visited your post at Noel's blog site, now hop back over here to get on the tour with Noel. That is fun! Great post and beautiful pictures!
I have been to Orlando many times, but everytime is on the mission to visit Disney world with kids. Next time, I need to ask for a special detour to the Harry P Leu Botanical Garden. After all, Mom should also get some treats sometime, right? lol
Ami, you're right...especially after a long day(s) completely surrounded by children, animation and noise! :) Don't get me wrong, I love Disney, but I'd prefer the Botanical Garden any day!
aloha kimberly,
that turned out fantastic and both posts were great, i really enjoyed doing this and you are so much fun to work with....just around the orlando area, i think are easily 5 or 6 major gardens and this was the only one i had time for during my visit and of course disneyland...but i think i may spend more time in the other venues if i go visit relatives again during xmas timeframe.
what a fun collaboration that was kimberly, mahalo.
Yup, this one's on my list Kimberly! Great pictures and thanks for the insight. GG
Wonderful! Thank ou for showing and sharing. Have a nice weekend!
Dear Kimberly, What an amazing and interesting garden which is clearly home to all manner of unusual plants as well as contemporary sculptures. It is extraordinary how gardens like this one were created and the generosity of their owners in putting them into the public domain.
What an intersting garden! It was a treat to go round the garden. Have a nice weekend!
For anyone in the Orlando/Central Florida area, Leu Gardens will be having their annual spring PLANT SALE on March 20 and 21. The gardens will be open to the public free on both days and there will be scores of plant vendors selling all types of great plants.
Jim, this is GREAT info!! I'm going to put that on my calendar...great family day! Thanks so much for letting us know.
I think it's great when bloggers team up and swap stories. A win-win for everyone!
that looks like a great place to take a break from your own garden! Thanks for the tour!
Leu Gardens is one of my favorite places.I love their spring plant sale. Great job on your post.
I visited Orlando and Kissimmee last November but had no idea of this!
Lovely
Birgitta
I love the sculpture with the wheelbarrow & the gardens are lovely! :)
What a treat for this northern gardener to see both Noel's and Kimberly's posts on both blogs. The frangiapanis were beautiful. I've only known the fragrance in perfumes and soaps, never knew anything about the plant itself. Thanks for the education and the gorgeous photos!
Kimberly and Noel,
This was a great post and fun doing the switcheroo for blogging as guests on each other's blogs. I can hardly believe I've never been to Leu... maybe because it's in my back yard ... I don't know but I must take the time to saunter around there ... soon.
Thanks for the tour today.
Meems
Perfect, Kimberley and Noel! We are going to Orlando this month, and like others, want a garden day instead of all Disney all the time! Thanks so much for highlighting this beautiful place. :-)
Frnaces
Hi Kimberly, what a great idea. Thanks so much to Noel for the tour. I do enjoy seeing photos of gardens so far away and reading of visits. I enjoy doing them myself too ;-)
I popped over to Noels to see your post too. You've got some great photos there and a great read too. Thanks for stopping by my blog. Love all the plants you can grow with you :-D
Kimberly ! This was a wonderful "dual post" : )
When I see gardens like this it hits home that there truly is "heaven on earth" because they are so gorgeous : )
Whimsy is ESSENTIAL in our gardens .. it gives them character ;-)
I don't know what I would do without Winthrop, Dave and the boys .. well it just wouldn't be me without there grumbling, naughty tricks, and yes .. some times they are encouraging believe it or not.. even Dave sitting on his cracked mushroom can find it within himself to compliment some of my garden efforts ! LOL
Again .. great post with you and Noel !
Joy & the boys : ) .. oops .. and the girls too !! haha
And a Happy Blooming weekend to you! Thanks for sharing!
We're coming to Orlando in early May, and this is already on our list of things to visit, so thanks for the preview!
What fun for you to exchange posts with your friend. This lovely entry about Leu Gardens made me homesick, but in a good way with all the beautiful photos. We lived in Longwood, Florida, just north of Orlando, from 1990 until we moved to Austin just a few years ago. Leu Gardens was one of our favorite family outings on the weekends. We often took out-of-town guests there as well. As someone else mentioned, it is much better than Disney (or as we called it: The Rat. 8:-> ).
BTW, Kimberly, I love your blog and have added it to My Blog List along the right side column of my site.
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