WELCOME
to the River's Edge Cafe Gardens. We are located in western Pennsylvania's
Laurel Highlands, a mountainous area known for its parks, rivers,
scenic natural beauty, and many recreational opportunities. We are
the ONLY outdoor public garden in western Pennsylvania (the Phipps
in Pittsburgh is mostly under glass). We are located by the banks
of the Youghiogheny River and only one minute from the Great
Allegheny Passage, perhaps the longest bike trail in the world.
We are only minutes from three resorts -
Nemacolin, Seven Springs,
and Hidden Valley
- and minutes from three Frank Lloyd Wright houses - Kentuck
Knob, Fallingwater,
and Duncan House.
Ohiopyle is just downstream and is a lovely one to two hour bicycle
ride set in the forests along the river.
Our gardens are privately owned and operated and
consist of three distinct areas, the Cafe Gardens,
the Antique Gardens, and the
Satellite Gardens. The Cafe Gardens
are usually part of the dining experience at the River's
Edge Cafe and Bed and Breakfast, where you can sit on the porch
and overlook the gardens and the Youghiogheny River. The
Antique Gardens are located a block away, next to the River's
Edge Antiques, and offer a relaxing place to stroll through
perennials growing in a field. The Satellite
Gardens are located about 10 minutes away on a 60-acre site
and consists of grassy meadows, mature forests with trails, ferns,
streams, and more perennial gardens, all in a rustic natural setting.
The Cafe Gardens and the Satellite
Gardens are arboretums with outstanding examples of large specimen
trees.
Our primary interest in gardening is in perennials,
ferns, trees, attracting birds, and creating a sense of wonder in
our plantings and landscape designs. We desire to delight people
with the beauty of plants and nature set along the banks of the
Youghiogheny River. Unlike every other garden in Pennsylvania, our
mission extends far beyond the mere practice and study of horticulture,
instead including birds, animals, insects, and creating an artistic
and spiritual bond between plants and animals. We are also the only
public garden in Pennsylvania that has a zero-tolerance policy regarding
the use of any pesticides in our gardens, including herbicides,
fungicides, and insecticides, out of consideration to the immediate
river ecosystem of which we are a part.
Thanks for your interest and we look forward to your visit! Private
one or two hour tours can be arranged by calling 814-395-5978 or
by emailing Alan Kettler, Design and Ecological Director of the
Gardens, at alankettler@alankettler.com.
