New Head Gardener Jamie Harris Joins Leonardslee Lakes and Gardens

Leonardslee Lakes and Gardens at Horsham, West Sussex. has appointed Jamie Harris as head gardener. For six years before this, he was head gardener at Polesden Lacey, the National Trust property in Surrey, managing a mix of formal gardens, pleasure grounds and woodland.

Jamie Harris will now be managing the Grade I Listed gardens on the 240-acre Leonardslee estate, featuring outstanding displays of rhododendrons, azaleas, camellias, magnolias and bluebells. Plants were collected in the 1800s from all over the world by the Loder family, renowned Victorian plant collectors, with 20 rare ‘champion’ trees, now threatened in their natural habitat.

Following eight year’s closure, Leonardslee was extensively restored and then reopened in 2019 by current owner Penny Streeter OBE. The estate’s Grade II listed 19th-century mansion offers a classic afternoon tea and Michelin Starred dining at Restaurant Interlude, with tasting menus of food foraged on the estate. In the grounds there are tea and refreshment rooms, gift shops and a delicatessen featuring locally-raised produce.

Jamie Harris’ career has included positions at Nymans, the National Trust garden in Sussex, and Chartwell in Kent, where he served an apprenticeship. He says:

“The cold weather we had in April means that the Spring display here at Leonardslee is extending well into June this year, with many Rhododendrons and Azaleas still flowering merrily away. 

“As we move through the Summer I can’t wait to see what else the garden has to offer but I’m expecting plenty of flowering trees and shrubs such as Cornus and Hydrangeas doing their thing along with the huge number of wildflowers that Leonardslee has become famous for. Wildlife will also start to proliferate, with the likes of dragonflies and butterflies adding extra interest, particularly around the lakes.

“Over the coming months, we’ll be opening up a new area called The Top Garden which will link the northeast corner of the gardens with the Deer Park and Pinetum. We’ll also be carrying out some renovation pruning on our Azaleas and Camellias to open up historic views and bring the blooms back down to eye level. 

“There are plenty of new planting schemes to plan for, including around the mansion, in the Rock Garden and down at the Engine House, all of which will be planted in Autumn, all being well. We also plan to plant plenty of bulbs again this Autumn, to increase the Spring display for next year, so we’ll be poring over the catalogues during the Summer.”