Elizabeth and Lori Beth’s Garden Tours (Crafton Area)
Hosted by Elizabeth Marinella and Lori Beth Jones
Location: Crafton, PA and Crafton Heights, PA (Gardens are 4 minutes apart by car. Address will be sent the day before the tour!)
Date: Saturday, October 12th
Time: 10am
Elizabeth (Crafton)
Elizabeth has been working on rehabbing her yard for the last 5-6 years, with a focus on native plants and habitat restoration for the past 2-3 years. Her yard is definitely in transition, balancing a number of competing demands. With kids and a dog who need play space, along with the hilly Pittsburgh topography that requires stabilization, there’s a bit of tension between creating a native habitat and maintaining established plants for their stabilizing benefits. Elizabeth chooses to put more energy into adding natives rather than removing non-natives.
Her yard is quite small—maybe a quarter acre—bordered by streets on three sides, with above-ground power lines to contend with. The soil is the rocky clay common to the area, and every time she plants something, alarming amounts of trash, concrete, and buried construction debris are unearthed.
Elizabeth has faced some interesting challenges—not all of the neighbors have been enthusiastic, though that’s improving with conversation and gentle education. She had underestimated the sheer amount of time and sweat equity involved; early on, she had fantasies of simply sprinkling wildflower seeds and basking in success as an eco-friendly earth mother. Hundreds of hours of digging and probably 4 tons of topsoil later, she now has much more reasonable expectations of gardening in general and gardening with natives in particular. Last summer, tree trimmers working on behalf of DLC came through and sheared off the back half of most of the trees, completely changing the sun exposure of that part of the yard and unfortunately causing a fair amount of damage from downed limbs crushing shrubs and being dragged through the yard. This year, she plans to relocate some plants that don’t like their new sun exposure and fill in with more plants that will thrive in those areas.
Lori Beth (Crafton Heights)
Lori Beth Jones and Timothy Williams have been cultivating native plants since 2010, with a mission to reclaim their garden from invasive species. When they moved to Berry Street in Crafton Heights in 2015, they gained more space and sunlight, transforming their urban lot into a vibrant ecosystem. Lori Beth’s passion was sparked by the awe-inspiring sight of a monarch caterpillar becoming a butterfly, a moment that continues to inspire their gardening efforts.
Their 0.2-acre garden is perched on a sloping lot, adding both challenge and character to their project. Over 60% of the plants are native to Pennsylvania, mingling with existing trees, shrubs, and a mix of edible plants. The garden is a labor of love, with Lori Beth and Timothy handling most of the work themselves. Lori Beth is an experienced winter sower and has hosted workshops for over a decade. Their plant choices are eclectic, sourced from local favorites like Sylvania Natives (no longer in business) and Arcadia Natives, as well as through seed swaps with friends.
The battle against invasive plants like vinca, Japanese honeysuckle, and garlic mustard has been a constant challenge. The steep terrain requires careful management, but Lori Beth and Timothy have met it head-on, turning obstacles into opportunities for creative solutions.
In 2019, the removal of three large pine trees by the city prompted them to establish a monarch waystation. This was quickly followed by certifications from the National Wildlife Federation and as a monarch habitat. They aim to secure Penn State’s Pollinator Friendly Habitat Certification in the next few years, with plans to enhance their garden with more native trees and shrubs.
Their garden features a mix of vegetable beds, woodland edge plantings, and small water features, all designed to support local wildlife. Despite the heavy clay soil, they’ve made significant strides in improving water management, moving earth by hand, and adding wood chips from local arborists to enrich the soil.
Lori Beth and Timothy’s garden also includes stock tank containers with trees and vegetables, and they’re working on a containerized alpine/gravel garden. Among their plantings, they’re particularly excited about adding pipevine for swallowtail butterflies. Though their serviceberry and plum trees have yet to bear fruit, their garden is a work in progress, steadily evolving into a thriving native habitat that reflects their commitment to ecological stewardship.