Enjoy a Spring Day Out…. Rhododendron Delights

I may be a ‘creature of habit’… making annual visits to those special gardens, gardens that may have special seasonal interest.  Lea Rhododendron Gardens at Holloway in the Derbyshire Peak District is one such garden.  Rhododendron and Azalai are mixed with a mature woodland surround. After repeated annual visits there is indeed a familiarity… but also each year is still different.  The main difference is the change that time natural creates, everything grows, some plants die other become more dominant.

A network of paths take you on a winding trail on this hillside that was once a quarry. The gardens were built by John Marsden-Smedley,  member of the wealthy Smedley Mill owning family.   Smedley was a keen and knowledgeable gardener.  His inspiration for Lea Gardens came in 1935 after a visit to Bodnant Gardens in North Wales.  He then set about the task of landscaping an old quarry area on his estate, importing trees and plants, seeking out the widest variety he could. His legacy is a this trail through towering trees and heavy bushes graced with colourful blooms.

I hope you enjoyed a repeat visit to Lea…. with luck, I will be back again next year.

Till then… as always….

Please Remember ….
Stay Safe …. Be Kind…. Look After Each Other

20th May
(C) David Oakes 2025