Yew Dell Botanical Gardens broke ground April 17 on the castle gardens, a project that will transform the landscape and increase accessibility to the local landmark.

Originally the home, gardens and commercial nursery of the late Theodore Klein and his family, Yew Dell now offers exceptional display gardens, educational programs and community events, ongoing plant research and hiking trails. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and is a Preservation Partner Project of the Garden Conservancy.

The $5 million castle gardens project that will transform the area surrounding the iconic Yew Dell castle into a stunning collection of new gardens, water features and educational opportunities.

Yew Dell has been working with Oldham native Richard Hartlage, owner of Land Morphology in Seattle, Washington to develop the project’s design and recently selected E-Z Construction in Louisville as the project’s general contractor.

Hartlage said at the groundbreaking, “It has been quite extraordinary to be on this property as a teenager and now be here at a shovel ceremony building a new garden. Thank you, Paul, for the call. It has been a very exciting design process.”

“This will be a truly transformative project in the growth and development of Yew Dell Botanical Gardens,” says Executive Director Paul Cappiello. “Working with one of the most creative design firms in the country, a national caliber Yew Dell staff, and support from donors across this community, the Castle Gardens project will kick off the next 20 years of growth of this remarkable organization.”

Margie Schubert, co-chair of the garden project capital campaign, said while they have come along way thanks to “extreme generosity” with the campaign fundraising that kicked off in 2022 for Yew Dell’s 20th anniversary, they are “still plowing away” to get the remaining funding secured.

Learn more about the project and how to make a donation by visiting yewdellgardens.org/castle-garden-capital-campaign.

With work underway, organizers plan for construction and plantings to be completed by 2025.