The garden was established in 1931 as landscaping for the private home of botanist Lilla Leach and pharmacist John Leach, who called it Sleepy Hollow. They bequeathed it to the city.
The garden features a diverse collection of over 2,000 hybrids, cultivars, native and non-native plants, including alpines, medicinal herbs, rock garden plants, camellias, and more than 125 species of ferns. Many are labeled. The property is divided by Johnson Creek and most of the land is on an incline.
A self-guided tour winds along trails with views of firs, ferns, and wildflowers.