Welcome to Lea Gardens

Lea Gardens is a Rhododendron Garden just outside the village of Lea, close to Matlock in Derbyshire. The Garden covers approximately three and a half acres, and is situated within a woodland area, with access paths which allow visitors to see the 500 or more varieties of rhododendrons, azaleas and other plants.

The Garden is open to the public for viewing and plant sales, and we also have a Tea Garden Café.

We are very close to Lea Bridge and Cromford, which are part of the Derwent Valley Mills World Heritage Site, and on the edge of the Peak District National Park.

  • Who We Are

    A Rhododendron Garden near Lea, a beautiful village in the heart of Derbyshire.

  • What We Do

    Our gardens have hundreds of rhododendrons, azaleas, kalmias and many other plants and shrubs for you to enjoy. We sell rhododendrons and other plants, and we also have an excellent Tea Garden Café for you to enjoy as part of your visit.

  • How We Do It

    We propagate and grow our own plants, and sell them across the country.

  • Learn More

    If you would like to learn more about us, then please browse the site or contact us using the link below.

    Contact Us

A Hidden Treasure!

We had a wonderful afternoon at Lea Gardens. The rhododendrons are something to behold, and the food in the Tea Garden Café was delicious! We couldn't believe that Lea Gardens had been on our doorstep all this time and we'd never visited before.

We shall definitely be coming back soon.

  • News and Events

    Music Day

    Our annual Music Day took place on Sunday 9th June. Various musician friends performed outside the Café and around the Gardens, and the day was greatly enjoyed by all who attended. The day also marked a special occasion, as Jon Tye (one of our owners) was celebrating his 75th birthday!

    Fajitas 'n' Folk

    This event in mid June was a great success. Sarah and her team provided excellent food as always, and our musician friends gave us some great entertainment. We may hold one more such event this season, so keep an eye on this website for an update.

    Late Season News

    Azalea Bed We're well into June, with lots of fine weather, and the Gardens are still looking fantastic. In particular, visitors who came this time last year will have noticed the azalea beds, which are now in full bloom, and are a spectacular sight. Please note that the Gardens (but not the Café) close for the year at the end of this month, so be sure not to delay your visit too long! Plant sales will continue after the Gardens close.

    As part of your visit, be sure to enjoy the delights of our Tea Garden Café, which serves light lunches as well as delicious home-made cakes. The tables on the Terrace offer stunning views of the Gardens. For more details, see our Café page.

    Plants are, of course, available for sale throughout the season. Details of our wide range can be found on the Plant Sales page.

    Meet Tommy!

    TommyTommy, our company vehicle, is the newest member of the team. He's based on an old-style Mini Cooper which has had a bit of a nip 'n' tuck. Tommy can often be seen near the entrance to the Gardens

  • Recent video

    Have a look at this video of our garden, kindly taken and made available by one of our visitors.

  • Panoramic Views

    You may also like to see some superb 360 degreee panoramic views of the Gardens, taken and made available to us by local photographer Rod Kirkpatrick of F Stop Press. Just click on 360 Views to visit the Derby Telegraph webpage where these views have been published. Then follow the link to each of the three views, and use your pointing device to pan both horizontally and vertically.