By Lisa Hornung
Photograhy by Matt Johnson
A day at a botanical garden can be relaxing, energizing, and restorative. Yew Dell Botanical Gardens in Crestwood, Ky., offers this chance and more.
Yew Dell’s origins were in 1941 when Theodore and Martha Lee Klein bought property to start their small farm and raise their family. They also began what was to become a very successful ornamental plant nursery, originally focusing on yews and hollies. Theodore Klein was an avid plant collector who traveled the world looking for unique plants to test in Kentucky. Those that did well made their way into the nursery.
Now, the property is managed by a nonprofit organization whose mission is to “spark a passion for plants and gardening through accessible science and inspiring beauty,” said Manda Barger, Yew Dell’s public relations and marketing manager. “Visitors can find inspiration in several ways at Yew Dell, from our display garden beds to our trails in the woodlands to the Fairy Forest,” Barger said. “Volunteers every year create these fantastic little magical fairy houses and it continues to grow.”
The fairy forest is truly magical, Barger said. “We also have a mailbox out there that everyone has used to send letters to fairies. We’ve seen a 2-year-old doodle on a sheet of paper to a 70-year-old asking the fairies for help. Being able to take in that experience is just really soul-inspiring.”
Getting in touch with nature is a benefit of visiting Yew Dell. “Especially since we’ve installed the Reflection Lake, more native wildlife has been coming back to that area. We’re getting a lot more birders out here seeing that,” Barger said. “The lake collects runoff, and we pump it to help water the nursery as we look for more sustainable ways to garden.”
There are also more than a dozen display gardens designed each season by Garden and Arboretum Manager Sayde Heckman. They showcase beautiful plants that do well in Kentucky’s climate. “Sayde’s goal out of that is showing what plants can do and how cool plants can be in exciting the senses, whether it’s from a color aspect to a sensory aspect to smell or, ‘I’ve never seen this kind of thing before.’ Then taking that spark of plants home with you,” Barger said. “And we match that with our plant market and nursery. These are plants that have gone through our horticulture staff to know what’s the best. Most plants have been on the Yew Dell property for at least a year, if not several years, before we put it in the nursery for people to try at home.”
For those interested in man-made structures, the architecture of Yew Dell is unique. All the older buildings were designed and built by Theodore Klein himself. He built the Klein House and several other structures, including the Klein Castle, which was originally meant to be a pool house. Newer buildings have been built with the help of de Leon & Primmer Architecture Workshop and won awards.
Some of the trees in the arboretum were planted by Klein in the 1950s and ‘60s. “So, you’re getting to see them at and older form when they’re just now hitting nursery markets,” Barger said. “You’re getting to see 40-year-old specific cultivars of a redbud that you normally don’t get to see.”
When you bring your family to Yew Dell, be sure to visit Martha Lee’s Kitchen, the on-site cafe that serves delicious seasonal food.
Visitors can bring their dogs on most Sundays for Hounds on the Grounds, but check the website to be sure because some special events mean that the hounds need to stay at home.
Admission is free for members. Non-member admission to Yew Dell is $9; seniors 65 and older and ages 6-17 get in for $5. Children 5 and younger get in free. Veterans and active and retired military personnel get in free with ID.
Visit YewDellGardnes.org for more information.
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