Leonardslee celebrates being open to the public for 100 years in 2007. One hundred years ago the first flower appeared on the Rhododendron loderi hybrid developed by Sir Edmund Loder: he also first opened the gardens for charity in the same year.
The gardens have evolved over 200 years; the Loders came when Sir Edmund Loder married Marion Hubbard and purchased Leonardslee from his parents in law in 1889. He previously lived up the road at High Beeches, which is where his father sir Robert lived with a family of six boys and two girls. Sir Robert passed his passion for plants to at least two of his sons as Sir Edmund developed the gardens at Leonardslee, and one of his younger brothers, Gerald took on the gardens at Wakehurst Place.
Sir Edmund’s son died in WWII and his son Sir Giles took over in the 1920s. Sir Giles was a fanatic grower of Camellia and often took prizes at RHS shows around the country. Robin Loder took over from Sir Giles in the 1980s and has developed the gardens further, opening up new vistas and plantings to develop a theatre around the gardens to delight all visitors. The gardens are now run by a new generation of the family.
