Chapters in Pennsylvania

Members bring a dish to share and tour The Bower: A Native Plant Landscape and Sculpture Park

About 10 years ago, Ed worked as a laborer for the U.S. Postal Service, where part of the job involved maintaining and performing traditional landscaping on a large property. Around this time, Ed began reading Doug Tallamy's work and started engaging with the helpful staff at the Audubon Society of Western Pennsylvania (ASWP). This sparked a deep interest in native plants and ecology. Ed soon delved into books on pollinators and soft landings by Heather Holm and enjoyed Native Plant Gardening for Birds, Bees, and Butterflies by Jaret C. Daniels. Online resources such as PA Native Plant Gardening, the Pennsylvania Native Plant Society, Ray from Trees From Seed, BONAP, Audubon, BHWP, Native Plant Finder (NWF), Winter Sowers, and Homegrown National Park further enriched this newfound passion.

Before long, Ed was planting an increasing number of plants at his daughter's home in Lyndora, initially to mitigate flooding issues but eventually for the purpose of creating habitat. Wanting to expand his knowledge and skills, Ed became a Penn State Master Gardener and took pleasure in assisting with the demonstration garden at Moraine State Park (specifically the Native Plant and Butterfly Trail near McDaniels Launch). Ed also volunteered with the Audubon, planting trees, potting plants, and even dressing up as a skunk on occasion.

Ed's garden can be described as a somewhat disorganized hodgepodge of perennials, shrubs, and trees scattered across approximately one acre of very wet, clay soil, with over 80% native plants and at least 60 trees and shrubs. Preferring a wild look, Ed places plants where they are likely to thrive, despite understanding proper garden techniques and the need for aesthetic appeal. It is an eclectic collection and is not always perfectly weeded, though this is somewhat justified by the fact that Ed lives 40 minutes away and has grand puppies that demand attention. Despite these challenges, the plants, as well as the birds, bees, butterflies, moths, and associated life, are thriving.

Mistakes have been made over the years and continue to be made. Landscape fabric proved useless, mulch was washed away, and fenced-in areas were not tall, wide, or strong enough to keep the nibblers out. One ongoing challenge is the presence of very hungry deer, which visit day and night�"15 at last count�"and few plants escape their taste. Many plants have fallen victim, including Paw Paws, Inkberry, and Eastern White Pine.

Join us for our summer social! We will be celebrating the end of summer with a pot-luck style picnic. This event is for members only. Please check your email for link to our registration page or contact [email protected].

Business meeting starts at 6:30 followed by member/social meeting at 7:15

Hosted by Diana Ames and Emily Bush
Location: Friendship Neighborhood, Pittsburgh, PA 15224
Date: Saturday, September 28th
Time: 10am

The primary purpose of the Fredericka Street Pollinator Project is to create and sustain habitat for bees, butterflies, and birds from unused or neglected spaces along Fredericka Street, a block long alley in Friendship. Planned and planted by neighbors Diana Ames and Emily Bush, the gardens were created in the spring of 2020 with funding from the City of Pittsburgh’s Love Your Block program.

The locations along a public right-of-way presents unique challenges. Gardens have occasionally been run over, or flattened by wayward basketballs. Some of the grant funding was used to install a rain barrel at one of the sites, but it’s been necessary to carry water to most of the gardens during the sporadic dry conditions over the past couple of summers. Other than watering as needed, limited maintenance is done on these sites.

Our main sources of plant material for the gardens was Beechwood Farms native plant nursery, Pisarcik’s Greenhouse in Butler County, and our own gardens. About 85 percent of the plants are native, including two amelanchiers.

Diana Ames is a master gardener, and has been growing natives for 20 years. She is former chair of the City’s Shade Tree Commission and principal founder of Friends of the Pittsburgh Urban Forest, now Tree Pittsburgh. Diana is a regular volunteer at Baum Grove, Friendship’s community owned park.

Emily Bush grew up watching her parents tend to beautiful gardens at her childhood home, and meeting Diana inspired Emily to focus on planting primarily native plants in her own garden. She has a passion for monarchs and loves planting patches of milkweed and teaching her children how to care for caterpillars. Emily regularly helps maintain the gardens at her children’s school, the Waldorf School of Pittsburgh, and advocates for the planting of natives there as well.