By Barbara Hadley Smith
Garden Club of Frankfort
It is a well-known fact that immersing oneself in nature restores the soul. There is a sense of peace that occurs when we take time to enjoy the flowers, trees and meadows available to us.
The members of the Garden Club of Frankfort experienced that and more when they toured Yew Dell Botanical Gardens in Crestwood recently. It is a magical place offering a refuge from daily stress.
Yew Dell began in 1941, when a farmer and his wife, Theodore and Martha Lee Klein, purchased 34 acres in Oldham County to start a farm/nursery. Over the next 50-plus years they expanded and developed their property into a commercial nursery with an extensive collection of plants and gardens. Klein became a nursery leader in the region and introduced more than 60 new plant varieties.
According to information about the property, Klein built most of the buildings that still exist. There is a family home (now used as administrative offices), and support buildings for the farm, greenhouses, and the iconic castle that served as a pool house. Klein’s creativity and craftsmanship are evident from hand-carved cornerstones to leaded windows, intricate woodwork and his signature millstones incorporated throughout the buildings and gardens.
After Mr. Klein died in 1998, development threatened his property. In response, community members formed an organization to purchase his property and, in 2002, created a non-profit botanical garden. They later added a neighboring property that is now the Woodland Trails.
It takes several visits to Yew Dell Gardens to enjoy all of the attractions available there. Thousands of plants bloom in individual gardens throughout the season. Wandering paths take you throughout the extensive property. Classes are offered in flower arranging, container gardening, perennial propagation and plant identification, just to name a few. Special events are held, including plant sales, Mother’s Day, Brunch, Fairy Day Celebration, monthly Happy Hours gatherings and a Secret Garden Party.
Martha Lee’s kitchen on the grounds will prepare a picnic lunch or you can enjoy your meal on the porch overlooking the Pollinator Meadow.
A special spring event was the Castle Gardens Dedication. A $5 million project, the new gardens surround the Castle which was the pool house on the Klein property. Guests can enjoy seating among the natural and architectural attractions.
In addition to the events arranged by Yew Dell, the property is available for rent and is the site for many weddings and other celebrations.
Yew Dell Botanical Gardens is located at 6220 Old LaGrange Road in Crestwood. It is a partnership project of the Garden Conservancy, founded to preserve America’s most exceptional gardens, and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
