Leonardslee Wins People's Choice Award for Rare Rhododendron

Leonardslee Lakes and Gardens has won the People’s Choice award in the Plant Heritage Threatened Plant of the Year 2023 competition for Rhododendron 'The Dowager'. The rare hybrid rhododendron was voted for by visitors to the RHS Hampton Court Palace Garden Festival after Leonardslee entered five of its prized specimens into the competition.  

Featuring one of the most extensive rhododendron collections in the UK, Leonardslee’s 240-acre Grade I listed estate contains hundreds of exotic and endangered plants curated by head gardener Jamie Harris and his team. Among these is Rhododendron 'The Dowager', a hybrid cross between R. ‘Muriel’ - a rare Leonardslee-raised hybrid of falconeri x grande, with currently only a single known specimen anywhere - and R. arboreum. 

Named in honour of Lady Loder by family friend Miss E. Godman of South Lodge estate, 'The Dowager' received the Award of Merit when first exhibited in 1968. Today, only one specimen remains at Leonardslee. The medium-sized tree bears distinctive silvery undersides and pink-and-white blooms that flower early each March. 

As part of Leonardslee’s recently awarded National Collection status for its Loderi and Leonardslee-related hybrids, the estate has sent material from all the Rhododendrons in the collection, including 'The Dowager', to Duchy College in Cornwall to be micro-propagated and preserved. This ensures the future of a cultivar that is not commercially available and that Plant Heritage has designated as endangered. 

The National Plant Collection and Threatened Plant of the Year initiative help safeguard over 95,000 rare specimens like 'The Dowager' for gardeners, nurseries, designers and researchers. Leonardslee Lakes and Gardens is proud to contribute to the conservation of these horticultural treasures so they can be appreciated for generations to come. 

Leonardslee Lakes & Gardens is open from 9am to 5pm, with the last entry at 4:30pm. Leonardslee Gardens, Brighton Road, Lower Beeding, Horsham, RH13 6PP 

Visitors to the gardens in West Sussex can see 'The Dowager' and many other horticultural treasures. More information is at www.leonardsleegardens.co.uk.  

The Evolution of Leonardslee and its Rhododendrons  

The history of Leonardslee Estate is a tale of family ownership, gardening, and a passion for plant hunting. Originally, the property was part of the royal family's holdings and was used as a hunting ground. Passed down through various kings and queens, Charles II gifted the estate to Sir Edward Greaves, his physician.  

By the late 1600s, Leonardslee was in private hands, transitioning through several families until the Loders eventually acquired it, marking the beginning of the estate's renowned rhododendron legacy.  

People wonder if the Loder family, known for their interest in plant hunting and bringing new species from abroad, knew they were coming to a perfect place for cultivating rhododendrons. As a local family, they were well aware of the land and soil conditions.   

Before the Loders, the Beauclerk family had already started planting rhododendrons. The oldest rhododendron in the garden, a ‘Cornish Arboreum’, was planted in the Dell area, previously known as the American Garden, and is over 200 years old.  

When Sir Edmund Loder purchased Leonardslee in 1889, his father, Sir Robert Loder, already owned the High Beeches estate. Not long after, Sir Edmund's brother acquired Wakehurst Place. These estates shared many similarities, but Leonardslee's soil and aspect made it doubly perfect for cultivating rhododendrons.

Rhododendrons can be found on most continents, but the most significant species come from China and the Himalayas. Plant hunters of the early 1900s ventured out to collect plant materials, discovering hardy rhododendrons on mountainsides. These plants were then introduced to gardens like Leonardslee, enhancing the estate's reputation.

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Editors notes

Leonardslee Lakes and Gardens is a family-owned vineyard estate, near Horsham in West Sussex, which features ‘the finest woodland gardens in England’, Grade I Listed, as well as a Michelin Star restaurant and luxury vineyard accommodation.

The 240-acre estate was established by Sir Edmund Loder, the great Victorian plant collector, and now includes a Sussex Wine vineyard, with the first release of Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier sparkling wine in 2024.

The estate features outstanding displays all year round. In the spring this includes rhododendrons, azaleas, camellias, magnolias and bluebells. The collection is exceptional in its diversity and maturity, with several rare ‘champion’ trees, threatened in their natural habitat.

The gardens offer a protected ecosystem for rare wildlife such as Emperor Dragonflies and Damselflies, White Admiral and Purple Hairstreak butterflies and migratory and native birds - Kites, Great Tits, Tree Creepers, Nuthatches, Woodpeckers and Nightingales.

The estate reopened in April 2019, following acquisition and two years’ intensive work by entrepreneur Penny Streeter OBE to restore the woodland gardens after eight years of closure and neglect under previous ownership. It was the largest garden restoration project in the United Kingdom since Heligan 30 years before.

Since further restoration work in 2021, visitors can also stay in the luxury vineyard hotel after dining at Restaurant Interlude in Leonardslee House, the Grade II Listed Italianate mansion house, to experience the Michelin Star multi-course tasting menu created by chef Jean Delport.

Visitors can view a magical world in miniature at the Beyond the Doll's House exhibition, which depicts the Edwardian estate and neighbouring villages at 1:12 scale. They can then enjoy a classic afternoon tea in the mansion house, making for a great family day out. It is one of the top places to visit in Sussex and is open all year round except Christmas Day.

For great days out, there is an extensive programme of entertainment that includes winter garden illuminations and light trails, wine and beer festivals, photo and art exhibitions, live music events, cooking and gardening demonstrations, arts and crafts fairs, modelling and toy shows, and children’s events and adventure trails.

Vineyards –

Leonardslee Estate: Acquired 2018 - 3.1 Acres - 2018 First vines planted - 4,000 Estimated bottles Experimental planting of Pinotage - 2022 First estate Pinotage

Mannings Estate: Acquired 2017 - 34 Acres - 2017 First vines planted - 70,000 Estimated bottles Sparkling wine cultivars 60% Chardonnay, 30% Pinot Noir and 10% Pinot Meunier - 2024 First release of wine