Public Gardens Listing: Harry P. Leu Gardens (Orlando, FL)
While balcony container gardeners enjoy their small-space urban gardens, sometimes a few container plants on an apartment balcony above a busy street just isn’t peaceful enough. Balcony gardeners might not be able to have a peaceful, large garden, but there are public gardens and arboretums near every major city. Don’t just fawn over pictures of luxurious gardens, get out there and enjoy a day at a public garden! You may even bring some gardening inspiration home to your own balcony container garden.
If you live in or are visiting the Orlando, Florida, area, why not visit the Harry P. Leu Gardens?
- The 49-acre Harry P. Leu Gardens has many gardens and collections, including the Annual Garden, Arid Garden, Bromeliad Collection, Butterfly Garden, Citrus Cove, Herb Garden, Kitchen Garden, Rose Garden, Vegetable Garden and many more.
- Make sure to visit the Leu House Museum, which is located in the gardens. Tours run every half hour from 10am-3:30pm. The Leu House is a restored 19th-century home. Four families lived in the house and on the property, and the gardens are named after Harry P. Leu and his wife Mary Jane, who lived in the house last. They collected many plants and seeds during their travels, and they gave the house to the city of Orlando in 1961.
- Take a guided tour of the gardens for $9 per person. Schedule the tour in advance and make sure there are at least 10 people. The gardens-only tour is 1.5 hours and the gardens and Leu House Museum tour lasts for approximately 2 hours.
- The 22,000-square foot Garden House Welcome Center has permanent and rotating art exhibits. You can also find sculptures throughout the outdoor gardens.
- If you have a QR reader on your SmartPhone, scan the codes around the gardens to learn more information about the plants.
- Every Wednesday from 3pm-5pm, a Master Gardener is available at the gardens to help diagnose gardeners’ plant problems and test soil (and it’s free!).
Harry P. Leu Gardens Quick Info
leugardens.org
(407) 246-2620
1920 North Forest Avenue, Orlando, Florida
Admission $7 for adults, $2 for children and free for Leu members
Open daily 9am-5pm
Closed on Christmas Day
