Cool Pictures Of Spring Flowers images

Leonardslee Landscape Gardens, West Sussex, UK | Tranquil walks through woodlands filled with flowering azaleas and rhododendrons in May (21 of 23)

Image by ukgardenphotos
Leonardslee Gardens: Woodland Walks

For a few weeks in May of each year, Leonardslee Gardens in West Sussex, UK, erupt into a spectacular display of the most amazing color combinations of flowering rhododendrons and azaleas. The green, wooded valley gardens then turn into a place of vibrant colors and outstanding natural beauty. Filled with the scent of the massed azalea plantings the whole area becomes a forest paradise. Visitors have often described its peace and tranquility as being like ‘heaven on earth’.

This photograph shows a quiet path lined with flowering azaleas and ancient rhododendrons through shaded woodland at Leonardslee.

For many years, tens of thousands of visitors have enjoyed the ‘calendar photograph’ qualities of this Grade 1 historic garden. Unfortunately, the gardens are now closed to the public as they have been sold to an international businessman.

Details: Leonardslee Gardens is a truly outstanding English landscape garden having a Grade 1 Historic Garden status (English Heritage Register). It covers about 240 acres (97 Hectares) in a wooded valley, contains seven lakes and is extensively planted with azaleas, ancient rhododendrons (some well over 100 years old), acers and camellias - all with a delightful under planting of bluebells in spring.

The great Victorian plant collector, Sir Edmund Loder (who gave his name to the large flowered and scented Loderi Rhododendron Hybrids) purchased the estate in 1889 and planted large numbers of Rhododendrons there. Sir Giles Loder later planted an extensive collection of camellias at Leonardslee. The estate remained in the hands of five generations of the Loder family until 2010 when it was sold to an international businessman. However, the Loder Rhododendron nursery was not sold and is still in business.

Location: Leonardslee Gardens, Lower Beeding, Horsham, West Sussex, England, RH13 6PP, UK. UK Map references: OSGB36 Grid ref:: TQ220259: Map tile ref: TQ22NW40

Links: A more detailed history of Leonardslee Gardens is available on Wikipedia. Leonardslee nursery is still run by Chris Loder and his website contains useful information on Rhododendron Loderi, its varieties and hybrids.

© 2011 ukgardenphotos

Flower Study 4

Image by wStrauss
Flowers are an awfully clichéd subject. However, they're fun to photograph. Now that spring is in full gear, they're starting to pop up.

This one suffers from the same problem as the other picture of this flower. It looks like it's floating. The lighting is also less flattering from this angle.

Spring in December

Image by suesviews
I took this photo of my California Lilac in flower this very morning! I've never seen it in flower in December before and have sent this picture off to our local news station, as they sometimes use viewers' photo's to illustrate the weather report. We shall see.... :-)