Floridiana Magazine

History. Heritage. Home.

Harry P. Leu Gardens, Orlando

No matter where you live in the state, chances are there are a few places nearby where you can disappear for a few hours and experience natural Florida.  Even in cities like Orlando, parks and gardens provide respite from the hectic pace.  You’ll find one of those locations just a short drive from downtown – Harry P. Leu Gardens.

I’ve driven by the entrance off Virginia Drive and Corrine many times in my 25-plus years in Orlando.  It wasn’t until I stopped for the first time years ago that I discovered this serene sanctuary in the city.

Who Was Harry P. Leu?

Harry P. Leu was born in Orlando in 1884 and went on to build one of the largest supply businesses in Florida.  He purchased the property on Lake Rowena in 1936 and filled it with plants he gathered in his travels around the world, with the camelia being one of his specialties.

The centerpiece of the Gardens is Harry and Mary Jane Leu’s house.  The house was restored to its grandeur and provided a look at turn-of-the-century Florida living.  It was added to the National Register of Historic Places December 29, 1994.  At the time of this post, the Leu House Museum is closed due to damage from Hurricane Irma in 2017.

In 1961, Leu deeded the property to the City of Orlando and the gardens were opened to the public.

Gardens and Exhibits

The Garden House serves as the welcome center to the gardens and is home to the gift shop, exhibit halls and classrooms, and a botanical library.  Once you walk out the doors, you are surrounded by the beauty of individual gardens.  Take a leisurely stroll around the pond in the Tropical Stream Garden or get ideas for your own yard in the Idea Garden. Winding walkways provide an easy trek through 50 acres of camellias, magnolias, ferns, and other botanical beauties.  Stop and smell the roses.  Or take a walk among the towering camphor trees.

Floral Clock

Another feature of the Gardens is the Floral Clock which sits behind the rose garden.  The 50-foot clock was imported from Scotland in 1966 and was donated by the Kiwanis Club of Orlando.

In addition to the gardens, fun exhibits provide guests with interactive experiences.  During our visit, The Ribbit Exhibit II (November 1, 2018 – January 31, 2019) sent us on a hunt for 26 whimsical frogs.  Sculpted out of copper, these frogs could be found meditating in a pond, watering plants, trimming hedges, riding bikes and jamming out on a washboard with the Ribbitsville Band.

Other exhibits have included dinosaurs, fairy doors and Lego sculptures.  Keep an eye on the website for future exhibits.  You don’t want to miss them.

Classes and Workshops

If you want more ideas for your own gardens, try one of the classes or workshops that are offered for folks of all ages.  Whether you want to learn the basics of growing orchids, or how to use lemons in your cooking, there is something for everyone.  Make sure to check out the calendar of events to find the right class for you.

Admission and Location

To get a complete picture of what Leu Gardens has to offer, make plans to see for yourself.  The Gardens are open every day (except Christmas Day) from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. The price of admission is $10 for adults, $5 for children 4 – 17, and Leu Gardens members and children three and under get in free.  To get there from downtown Orlando, take I-4 east to Princeton Street and follow the signs to Leu Gardens located at 1920 North Forest Avenue, Orlando.

Enjoy more of our photographs from the Gardens, but be sure to visit and see the beauty for yourself.

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Lukas Nursery and Butterfly Encounter: It’s More than Just a Nursery

Who would think a plant nursery would be included on a list of places to go in Florida? Besides having everything you need for your garden, Lukas Nursery offers an hour or so of good old family fun, plus there is a century of history behind it. Not to mention, it is considered one of the top 25 largest attractions in Central Florida.

Butterfly Encounter

Sometimes you just happen across one of those unexpected finds; you go someplace for one reason, and find something completely surprising.  The Butterfly Encounter is one of those places.  Although our first visit was about four years ago, there’s nothing like experiencing it through the eyes of a child.  From the walk up the pathway to the encounter itself, it is just plain cool.

Just inside the gift shop, you receive a laminated card with photo identifiers of all the butterflies (and birds) you may see, along with a quick tutorial on why you cannot touch any of these winged wonders outside the refueling station. (More on that later.)

The Butterfly Encounter delivers on the experience.  The screened-in, garden-like setting provides butterflies ample space to flit among the plants, getting their fill of the nectar while offering photo opportunities to even the youngest of photographers.

A new experience awaits you around every turn of the meandering pathway, including the “Caterpillar Flight School.” Perhaps the most fun, for kids and adults alike, is the Butterfly Refueling Station – a place where a dab of sugar water on your fingertips makes you the source of their food.  Don’t be surprised if they land elsewhere – to the delight of some, uncertainty to others.

When we asked my granddaughter Story her favorite part of the encounter, she said, “Seeing all the butterflies. And when it landed on my dress!”

No matter where you look, whether it’s in the trees or along the path, you’re sure to see more than just butterflies. This 4,000 square foot conservatory also serves as home to a covey of button quail and a number of brightly colored finches.

On the way out, don’t forget to take a good look around the gift shop.  If you need a unique present, you’re sure to find something for just about anyone on your list.

The Butterfly Encounter is open year-round, but the best time to see the butterflies is April through September.  The hours are from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., but the last admission into the encounter is at 3:30.  There is a $6.00 charge for anyone over the age of three.

Lukas Nursery

The fun doesn’t end with the Butterfly Encounter.  The nursery itself offers a relaxing walk among thousands of varieties of plants, from the ordinary to the exotic.

If you’re in the market for some unique garden art, then Lukas is the right place!  Not to mention, the statues provide even more entertainment for your kids or grandkids.

Noah loves all of the statues!

Lukas Nursery and Butterfly Encounter is a fourth-generation agricultural business and has grown from 50 one-gallon cans of woody ornamental plants to about 25 acres of plants, a garden shop and the butterfly encounter.

History of the Lukas Family

The nursery has been serving Central Florida for more than 100 years.  Paul and Mary Lukas, both Czechoslovakian immigrants, along with six other families, moved from Ohio to Florida in 1911. They settled in an area in what is now Seminole County and, in keeping with their European roots, named it Slavia.  Signs of the original settlement can still be seen – on road signs or an abandoned building just down the street from the nursery.

The family began farming in 1912 and has remained in the same location for its 100 + years. Over the years, improvements have been made, services added and the business expanded.  The one constant, however, has been the family.  (You can read more about the family and the business on the nursery’s website.)

Lukas Nursery sits on Slavia Road between Highway 417 and West State Road 426 near Oviedo.  Whether you are looking for a place to buy plants for your house or a place to spend an hour or so with your kids or grandkids, Lukas is the place.