The Yew Dell Gardens in the Crestwood area to the east of Louisville, Kentucky is another predatory tax story. Starting in 1941 Theodore and Martha Lee Klein build a very successful nursery and collected plants from all over the world for an arboretum, garden, and nice country estate. After Ted's death in 1998 the development vultures were licking their chops at this large industrial complex when volunteers managed to raise the funds to buy the property as a garden and the family could pay the estate taxes. With our current tax system keeping a business in the family is almost impossible so development or a non profit organization are the only options.
The rather modest main house is now the main offices. Across the driveway, the castle was built as a playhouse for the kids and the changing rooms for the pool. In contrast the 1840s log cabin was moved from a nearby property to house nursery workers who were probably very seasonal.
Looking back up toward the pool house and the now filled pool is the sunken garden that would be the major part of the evening view looking to the west. The remainder of the view is just this open field and trees in the background that were likely planned for future expansion that never happened.
On the other side of the house is this lined walkway to the working areas of the farm. The seal along with several other sculptures line the original main entry through the arboretum. Actually Yew Dell is much more arboretum than garden. They have an extensive collection of trees and bushes which were part of the breading stock for the nursery.
Flowers are a bit more rare but not totally missing. What is missing is the large planting beds typical of most botanical gardens and the pretties we all like to photograph.
There is a major focus on plants with colored leaves like these plantings. The one lonely coleus I found is here with the rest on this other page.