Mr and Mrs Harry P. Leu bought the Leu House and its 40 acres of land in 1936. Together, they loved exploring the world, but in their travels a piece of their hearts always remained back home. They never forgot to bring back countless exotic plants, especially camellias to add to their garden - a living memory of the adventures they had.

Today, the state of Orlando owns the gardens, and they continue to cultuvate the plants for the public to enjoy with the aim of fostering an appreciation of plants. The variety of flowering plants means that at everytime of the year, there are gorgeous blooms thriving at the very peek of their health. From January through to March the original Camellias, azaleas, orchid tree and powderpuff trees are in full bloom. In the summer months, roses, hibiscus, jacarandas, shell ginger and the exotic banana plant come out to bask in the warmth and sunshine. In the fall, floss silk trees flourish a vibrant pink, adding to the assortment of autumn colours. December brings the Camelias back to life, and the cycle repeats.

Stroll beneath the sheltering branches of elms and 200 year old oak trees, while inhaling the delightful aroma of sweet frangipani, Wander through the butterfly garden, where the sweet nectar of the plants entices all manner of butterflies and moths. A quirky addition is a floral clock that has been fashioned from multi-coloured plants growing from the ground. 50 foot in diameter, the hands of this clock may not tick, but it nonetheless attracts the gaze of numerous visitors. The garden also contains artwork from a number of talented artists, such as Flowers For Janette by Frank Farmer, a striking and bold image of flowers enameled on aluminium, and the fan favourites of the sculptures of the Citrus Workers and the Otfinoski collection. The Leu’s definitely deserve the prize of best garden, with this flawlessly upkept realm of beauty.