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Today I went across to Lea Gardens near Tansley to get the Horticultural Society’s two season tickets, and was surprised to see how many of the earlier azaleas and rhododendrons are already in flower.

Lea Gardens covers some four acres of an abandoned Medieval quarry.  They were first planted by John Marsden-Smedley of Lea Green some seventy years ago, and by his death in the 1950s he had built up a collection of some 350 varieties of rhododendrons and azaleas.

Following the splitting up of the Estate, the Rhododendron Garden was bought by Peter and Nancy Tye.  The Tye family still maintain the gardens, nursery and tea shop today.  They extended and developed the gardens as a whole, creating the rockeries and introducing a wider range of plants, as well as introducing more varieties of the signature shrubs.

In an outcrop of grit stone, the sheltered woodland site is idea for acid loving rhododendrons and azaleas, but don’t be disheartened as their nursery also stocks more alkali tolerant varieties that will cope with our limestone dominated location, as well as other plants and shrubs.

The network of small paths and unexpected views make the gardens fun to explore for all, not just the botanically minded.  Parwich Primary School’s visit in 2006 demonstrated how much children enjoy the variety of different levels, hidden paths and range of flowers.  Though it is still a number of weeks til the gardens will have put on their full show, the range of species and hybrids mean there will be lots to see from now til the gardens close at the end of June.  Then there is also the tea shop to refresh you for a further walk round the gardens.

To find out more about the Gardens visit their website http://www.leagarden.co.uk, and members of the Horticultural Society don’t forget by contacting your Chairman (Peter Trewhitt) you can use the Society’s two season tickets.  If you are not a member of the Society think about joining as their membership fees are a snip at £2 per year.