New chapter in garden of surprises

One of the most spectacular woodland gardens in England, Leonardslee at Lower Beeding, is being taken into the future with a new generation of the Loder family at the helm.

Twins Tom Loder and his sister Mary Davies have taken over the runnign of the 240-acre garden, where the valley location is magnificent. A stream in the bottom feeds a series of lakes, which reflect the surrounding setting, rich in rhododendrons, azelias, camellias, magnolias, and old oak, birch, beech intermingled with larch and Scots pine.

Tom Loder has taken a radical change from a career in IT, while Mary went to agricultural college and trained in business management. But for both, Loenardslee has always been a major part of their lives.

For full story see West Sussex Gazette May 17