Kitchen Garden
This year we have embarked on many wonderful transformations at Yew Dell. Some of these changes include the major renovation of the Castle Gardens area, adding to the horticulture team, and updating different locations throughout the gardens. One area that had a complete makeover was the Log Cabin garden bed, which is the new home of the Kitchen Garden.
Relocation & Planting
The Kitchen Garden, which was formerly located near the Castle, moved to the Log Cabin in early spring of 2024; and it took a lot of effort to get it going. We began by using a sod cutter to remove approximately 1,000 square feet of grass in February to expand the growing beds and create a continuous mulched path surrounding the Cabin. As the garden staff was rolling up sod and amending the soil, the nursery team was busy growing plants that gave a unique twist to the traditional edible garden.
With the help from our volunteers, we were able to fit 475 plants in this space ranging from herbs, vegetables (Did YEW know they are botanically considered fruits?), perennials, and annuals. A few favorites consist of:
- Abelmoschus esculentus ‘Burgandy’ (Okra)
- Rumex acetosa (Common Sorrel)
- Melothria scabra ‘Mexican Sour Gerkin’ (Cucamelon)
- Acmella oleracea f. viridis ‘Alba’ (Toothache Plant)
Aesthetics & Applications
Why are we planting these, you may ask? We chose each cultivar based on our needs. Most of what is harvested goes straight to our onsite café, Martha Lee’s Kitchen, and the other portion is drying to be used as decorations during our Yuletide winter festivities. We think it’s worthwhile to incorporate edibles that are aesthetically pleasing and functional when it comes to harvesting.
As we continue to make these modifications, we hope that it creates new experiences for our visitors, inspiring them to grow something new that tastes delicious too. Please stop by the historical log cabin and check out the beautifully designed edible garden!
