A special tribute has been paid to a Pembrokeshire gardener at the National Botanic Garden of Wales.

A collection of rhododendron cultivars has been presented to the attraction by the family of Leo Ekkes.

Leo Ekkes was head gardener at Picton Castle from 1960. He was a founder member of the Professional Gardeners’ Guild and was honoured with an MBE for his services to horticulture and community in Pembrokeshire in 2005.

Current head gardener at Picton Castle, Roddy Milne, said Mr Ekkes was a one-off: “He was a fantastic observer of nature and saw great beauty in the natural world,” he said.

“This collection of rhododendron cultivars was specially bred by Leo. He liked his ‘rhodies’ to be rather more refined than the usual, with delicate bell flowers and subtle shades.”

Mr Milne added: “Leo was instrumental in getting lots of people around here interested in gardening. He was still very active in his late 80s and, as the person who took over from him at Picton, I know he is impossible to emulate!”

Head of horticulture at the National Botanic Garden, Laura Davies said: “It is wonderful to be able to keep these plants which have been bred in Wales at the National Botanic Garden. We can give them a secure future.”

Laura said the plants would spend three months in quarantine before being planted out on ‘lakeside’ with the garden’s current collection.

Mr Ekkes’ widow Gwen, who visited the garden for the ceremony, said: “Gardening was his life.”

Born in Holland, in 1921, Mr Ekkes worked in forestry from the age of 15.

He moved to England to manage a nursery in Essex before moving to Picton Castle to be head gardener in 1960.

He left the county briefly to be head gardener at Leonardslee, in Sussex, but soon returned to his beloved Pembrokeshire.