By Remy Sisk • Photos Provided By Yew Dell Staff • Sponsored
Just outside Louisville in Oldham County sits Yew Dell Botanical Gardens, a sprawling and abundant oasis that invites guests to lose themselves in its rich natural beauty. Whether you’ve visited before or have yet to make the journey, Yew Dell is a must-see destination to explore not only its lush landscapes but also its historical architecture, signature bites, and charming gift shop.
Yew Dell is characterized by gorgeous winding paths and trails that take visitors on adventures through its stunning display gardens. Once the home and commercial nursery of Theodore Klein and his family, particular plants and buildings dating back decades are paired with award-winning architecture and display gardens. It’s not hard to find yourself spending a whole day discovering all the grounds have to offer. And with the weather on the brink of getting warmer, there’s no better time to plan your trip.
Yew Dell will be opening on March 4 this year – earlier than usual – to welcome visitors to witness the earliest blooms of the season. Yew Dell Public Relations and Marketing Manager Manda Barger explains that spring is an especially singular time at Yew Dell, “This spring will be the time to visit and visit often. Yew Dell already has a beautiful collection of early spring blooms including hellebores and witch hazel. To top it off, we have our annual Big Bloom, which will feature 27,000+ blooming tulips, daffodils, hyacinths, snowdrops, fritillaries, and other bulbs to make for a spring that you can experience in different ways from March through June!”
In addition to its existing offerings, Yew Dell has a very exciting new development in the works that guests can anticipate this coming summer. “The attraction that everyone will be talking about this year is our brand-new Castle Gardens, a $5.1 million project that brings beauty, accessibility, and inspiration around our iconic Yew Dell castle,” Barger shares. “We will be holding a community ribbon cutting on June 22 and we invite everyone to come and enjoy the gardens that day for free!”
That’s not the only expansion Yew Dell is preparing this year. The team has been hard at work building out their programming to be better than ever before. The on-site eatery, Martha Lee’s Kitchen, will be refreshed with an expanded menu from its new chef, Mike Ross, and there will be an even broader variety available in the Online Plant Market and Garden Gift Shop. Yew Dell will also be offering expanded workshops, added weekly plant walks, and is particularly looking forward to hosting a new evening event called Fabulous Fridays. This monthly happy hour series will kick off April 25 and feature a delightful selection of wines, seasonally themed cocktails and mocktails, and some delicious garden-fresh foods. Admission is waived for this series and visitors can mark their calendars to attend every last Friday of the month from April through October.
Without question, Yew Dell has something for visitors to discover not only on their first venture to the gardens but also on many visits to follow. As the season changes, there’s always something new to see at Yew Dell, and all of this resplendent beauty is waiting for you here in our very own city, much closer than you might imagine.
For more information and to plan your visit, head to yewdellgardens.org.
