Hi there, I’m Elena

I have a passion for growing food and helping others do the same

My Story

I’ve been around plant lovers all my life. I can remember happily picking vegetables and helping in my grandparent’s garden.

I studied Biology in college and had a job maintaining the campus rooftop greenhouse.  It was there that I learned how to grow and fell in love with it, and saw the positive benefits of gardening on my physical and mental health.

You don’t need a big space to grow food! 

I moved to an apartment in the east end of Pittsburgh in 2008 and began growing in three pots on the porch. It was perfect and sufficient for my needs at the time.  For years, I lived in locations with minimal outdoor space and grew veggies in pots on the sidewalk or porch.

In 2013, I moved into a house and slowly began improving the small, mostly concrete backyard into the urban oasis it is today.  The original three pots are still in use (see photos below), along with many other unique upcycled containers, fence boxes, and 84 sq ft of raised bed space. The garden has vegetables growing in all four seasons, along with herbs, perennials, annuals, and two bonsais.

PGH Urban Garden Consultant officially began in 2020. This experience has allowed me to be involved with wonderful organizations around Pittsburgh and beyond.

I am Director of the Organic Edible Garden at UPMC Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh, and volunteer there teaching kids and families about urban gardening.

Locally, I speak in the community about urban gardening. Past locations include Phipps Conservancy, Pittsburgh Home and Garden show, and Western PA Farm to Table Conference.

Catch me in spring around local events and farmer’s markets for veggie seedlings and gardening resources. Check my Events page for scheduled workshops on urban gardening and garden design.

Meeting enthusiastic plant lovers and soon-to-be gardeners is one of my favorite things!

See below for photos of my home garden’s progression over the years.

2014 - containers on recycled kitchen countertop and cinderblocks

2013 - containers on recycled kitchen countertop and cinderblocks

 
2014 - old raised garden bed

2014 - original raised garden bed

2018 - summer garden

2017 - new cedar raised bed constructed

2018 - cedar fence installed; boxes constructed with leftover wood

2017 - cedar fence installed; boxes constructed with leftover wood

2019 - vertical gardening on chainlink fence

2019 - vertical gardening on chainlink

2020 - containers raised on cinderblocks

2020 - containers raised on the original cinderblocks

2022 - cinderblocks repurposed into raised bed