Growing Leonardslee by Leonardslee Gardens

In Episode 10 of the Growing Leonardslee podcast, Adam Streeter, the General Manager of Leonardslee Lakes and Gardens, talks with Sussex author Hannah Peckham who was back this year at the estate for the return of the children’s Conker Activity Trail – which everyone loved. This immersive event invited visitors to explore nature, their senses, and their emotions while engaging with the imaginative world of Hannah's books, including the award-winning Conker the Chameleon. “My books aim to lay the foundations of emotional literacy. The first, ‘Conker the Chameleon’ focused on how important it is to talk about feelings. ‘Conker and the Monkey Trap’ looks at letting go of big feelings, mental well-being and how being brave comes in all different shapes and sizes,“ Hannah says.

In Episode 9 of the Growing Leonardslee podcast, Adam Streeter, the General Manager of Leonardslee Lakes and Gardens, talks with chefs Jean Delport and Ruan Pretorius. They discuss the journey of Restaurant Interlude, a growing presence on the UK restaurant scene that earned its first Michelin Star within a year of opening. Now, with its luxury overnight accommodation, it has featured in The Times ‘100 Best Places to Stay’.

In this new podcast interview, Adam Streeter, the general manager of Leonardslee, and chefs Jean Delport and Ruan Pretorius provide a glimpse into the philosophy, journey, and unique offerings of Michelin Star award-winning Restaurant Interlude. With their passion, commitment to sustainability and dedication to creating a memorable experience, Jean and Ruan have elevated Interlude to become a gem in the vibrant British culinary scene, one that is increasingly attracting rave reviews in UK national media. From the outset, it is evident that Interlude is more than just a restaurant - it is a destination. Jean and Ruan have crafted an immersive experience where guests are taken on a unique culinary journey within the historic Grade I Listed garden estate. The chefs aim to create an atmosphere where guests can unwind, relax, and revel in the sensory delights of their meticulously prepared dishes. Interlude is not a place for a quick meal; it is a sanctuary where time slows down, and every moment is savoured.

In the seventh episode of the 'Growing Leonardslee' podcast, general manager Adam Streeter delves into the fascinating world of rhododendrons at Leonardslee Gardens. He engages in another lively discussion with head gardener Jamie Harris about growing these beautiful plants in a personal garden space. Adam shares his own interest in learning more about rhododendrons and creating a small Leonardslee-like garden in his own garden. The conversation focuses on providing tips and advice to people who may be inspired by the beauty of Leonardslee Gardens and are considering growing rhododendrons in their own gardens.

In the sixth episode of the 'Growing Leonardslee' podcast, general manager Adam Streeter goes deeper into the world of rhododendrons at Leonardslee Gardens, in discussion with head gardener Jamie Harris. Previously, the podcast explored the historical significance of rhododendrons at Leonardslee and how their presence put the garden on the map. Now, the focus shifts to the measures taken to ensure the survival and enjoyment of these magnificent plants for generations to come. The gardens were saved by the Streeter family in 2017, following eight years of closure and neglect by previous owners, and then restored and opened by the family in 2019. It was one of the biggest restoration projects in England since the Lost Gardens of Heligan project. Jamie and Adam discuss in the podcast the importance of preserving and protecting the rhododendrons. The need for vigilance in safeguarding these plants from potential threats, such as storms or diseases. To address this, Leonardslee Gardens has partnered with the Duchy College in Cornwall to micro-propagate some of our most important Rhododendron specimens. This involves breaking down flower buds into individual cells, which are then placed in a gel-like substance with added chemicals to nurture the growth of seedlings. By micro-propagating the 40-odd specimens in their national collection, Leonardslee aims to create an exact replica of the parent plants, ensuring that future generations can enjoy the same captivating beauty that current visitors experience. This not only helps maintain the continuity of these important plants in the garden but also serves as a preventive measure against potential outbreaks of diseases or severe weather conditions that could damage or destroy the rhododendrons.

The Growing Leonardslee podcast Episode 5 features General Manager Adam Streeter discussing with head gardener Jamie Harris the extraordinary rhododendron collection at Leonardslee Lakes and Gardens. The Leonardslee rhododendrons have a rich history and are celebrated in various competitions, including the 2023 RHS Wisley Show, where the team recently won several top prizes. The Loder family, previous owners of Leonardslee Gardens, before the Streeter family, played a significant role in the development and popularisation of rhododendrons. The Loderi hybrids, numbering around 35, are mostly still present in Leonardslee's gardens, and National Collection status has been granted to the estate for its collection. Managed by Plant Heritage, the world's leading garden plant conservation and research charity, this status helps preserve essential plant collections for future generations. Out of the 42 hybrids in the collection, 17 can only be found at Leonardslee, with some represented by just a single plant - so the estate offers a very rare and precious garden sanctuary!

Join us for the latest ‘Growing Leonardslee’ podcast as Adam Streeter talks to South African artist Anton Smit and estate owner Penny Streeter about the creation of one of Europe’s largest sculpture parks and Anton’s magnificent new exhibition ‘The Walk of Life’. Anton tells us how he went against all his family’s expectations for his career to dedicate himself to sculpture. In 2018 he and his wife Roelien met Penny for the first time and realised their mutual love of South African art. A highly successful sculpture exhibition at Penny’s Benguela Cove Lagoon Wine Estate, in Western Cape, followed in 2019 Penny and Anton then agreed, together with Adam, an even more ambitious event at Leonardslee for the following year. Their plans for an April 2020 launch were derailed by the worldwide pandemic. Now at last, the exhibition has opened. Anton and Adam talk about the huge challenges in creating and shipping the monumental sculptures and creating the world's largest sculpture park by a single artist; how the artist used a drone to create a giant map of the 240-acre estate and spent days exploring the Grade I Listed gardens to plan the exact positioning of each of the more than 80 individual sculptures. Penny describes how the estate is creating highly popular curated art tours and is already receiving many enquiriesfrom art groups, collectors and galleries. Adam says Leonardslee members seem to love the exhibition – the giant masks are a special favourite, and the stunning 7.5m ‘Faith’, which is still being erected by crane close to Leonardslee House, is creating massive interest. A limited number of tickets are now available for this special launch event, which includes a 30-45 minute highlights tour of the sculpture park exhibition. Tours are from Wednesday 22nd to Sunday 26th September - further private tours by arrangement.

Join us to be Enchanted and Illuminated in the latest Leonardslee podcast as Adam Streeter and his event co-organisers talk about these two jewels in the crown of our 2021 programme. Adam reviews with Robin Morely and Simon Teesdale highlights of the Enchanted Leonardslee event, until Sunday, 8 Aug 2021 - please see the website for dates and times. Hear about the magical trail through the beautiful woods and lakes, with music and theatrical performance and spectacular visual and sound installations. Enchanted features mermaids, faeries and other mythical creatures, as the specially commissioned trail weaves its spellbinding tale of magic and wonder through Leonardslee Lakes & Gardens. And there’s more. Following the sell-out success of winter Illuminated in 2020, we will be repeating the event in November and December this year. Hear from the team how the beautiful woodland gardens will come to life with spellbinding illuminations, large scale projections, music and theatrical acts.

Restaurant Interlude - The Journey to A Michelin Star Join us for the latest ‘Growing Leonardslee’ podcast as estate general manager Adam Streeter talks with South African chef Jean Delport. They discuss with estate owner Penny Streeter OBE the amazing journey from setting up Restaurant Interlude together in the newly restored Leonardslee House in 2018, to winning a first Michelin Star in record time - and now retaining it for a second successive year. It all started seven years ago when Adam, an aspiring chef, was living in South Africa. On a student placement at the South African Chefs Academy in Somerset West, he worked for chef Jean. Whilst Adam later decided that his future lay in management rather than cooking, a firm friendship had begun. Both Adam and his mother were so impressed with Jean’s skills that they set up a restaurant in 2015, Benguela on Main in the Cape Town Winelands, with Jean as executive chef. Adam knew that the dishes that Jean was creating at Benguela on Main, in his own style, were exceptional. He would frequently comment: “Jean, if only we could move you to the UK, I know you would win a Michelin Star”. It seemed an impossible flight of fancy at the time, that was to be realised in a remarkably few short years. Hear the podcast to find out what happened next, in this amazing journey to Jean’s second successive award of a Michelin Star.

In this debut episode of the ‘Growing Leonardslee’ podcast, Adam is joined by Head Gardener Jamie, Restaurant Interlude’s Jean and estate owner Penny Streeter OBE. They discuss one of the most popular seasons to enjoy the visual delights of Leonardslee: Spring. Jamie, who joined the estate in January, details the challenges he faced when planning the Spring gardens, including trying to get his bearings in the 250-acre woodland gardens and working around the April cold snap - all while being thrust into the world of wallaby husbandry. Adam and Penny recount the trials and tribulations in restoring the gardens to their full glory after 10 years of neglect - and how they were helped by records and pictures kindly provided by residents of West Sussex. We also speak to our Michelin Star award-winning chef Jean Delport, who has been foraging the estate for ingredients to feature in his wonderful tasting menu. You will hear how he taps birch trees for their sap to make syrup and collecting and cooking with Japanese knotweed!