When Dreams Come True (After a Long, Long Wait)

Dreams don’t always turn out the way we imagined them

A long-awaited visit to the Garden

My grandfather had a dream that the land he farmed would be appreciated by future generations. In 1971 he sold the land to the county, to become part of Cabin Settler’s Park. But that section was never developed and the land sat idle. My grandfather died before anything came of his dream. But the dream was not dead…

The Horticultural Society of Western Pennsylvania had a dream to create a world-class botanic garden in the Pittsburgh area. Among other criteria, the society wanted land that was a “uniquely Pittsburgh or southwestern Pennsylvania site including pleasing topography or industrial or cultural history.” It looked like that dream would come true when they signed a lease with Allegheny County for 432 acres in the southwestern corner of Cabin Settler’s Park (including my grandfather’s farm). The land was to become the Pittsburgh Botanic Garden. Then disaster struck, in the form of landslides, acid runoff and other coal mine-related complications. It seemed hopelessly expensive to alleviate the problems. But the dream was not dead …

The visionaries behind the Garden found a bold solution for the problems they faced, involving a reclamation process known as day-lighting to harvest the remaining coal.

I know of no other project in the world that’s making such exemplary use of their mineral resources.  Turning mine-scarred land into a botanic garden takes the concept of ‘higher and better use’ to a new level.   –  J. Scott Roberts, Deputy Secretary, Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection, Harrisburg

(Click these links for more about their reclamation efforts, or the history of the garden.)

And so, after many years of waiting, and planning, and fundraising and overcoming difficulties, these dreams are coming to fruition. The first section of the Pittsburgh Botanic Garden, called the woodlands, will open on August first.

Some shots of the woodland gardens

More Dreams

My mother had a dream too. She wanted to visit the land with her children and grandchildren, to show them what the land had been and what it was becoming. She has been involved in the work of the Garden since the early days, sharing photos, historical information and memories. She wanted her family to witness the remarkable transformation that was taking place. Unfortunately, the section that was once her family’s farm was in the midst of reclamation work, and various orthopedic and health issues threatened to keep her from visiting anything beyond the picnic area beside the parking lot. But the dream was not dead …

Employees of the Garden were delighted to help my mother realize her dream. With their help, my family came together to attend a reunion at the soon-to-be-opened Garden. (It became a pre-opening promo event. You can see photos and read more about it at TribLive.com.)

Several folks from the garden shared their vision with us, and my mother shared memories of growing up on the farm. After a tour of the woodland gardens and a delightful picnic lunch at the gazebo (surrounded by butterflies) we were granted special permission to visit the old homestead. My mother stood beside the maples that once shaded the farmhouse, pointing out where the farm buildings had stood and which tree had held her favorite swing.

One of the big maple trees that lined the driveway. I remember playing under them as a girl.

The more adventurous learn about the tricks of coal reclamation from an employee.

The dream had come true, and it was good!

So don’t give up on your dreams. They may yet come to pass. (Even if it doesn’t look quite like you’d imagined.)

More information:

Read more about my grandfather’s dream in this post

Or check out the Pittsburgh Botanic Garden facebook page