Established by the Horticultural Society of Western Pennsylvania, the Pittsburgh Botanic Garden focuses on plants adapted to the Allegheny Plateau region and temperate climates.

Its mission was to promote and encourage horticulture and botany, the conservation of natural resources and the establishment of a botanical garden in western Pennsylvania.

"When those plans [for the golf course] fell through, county Commissioner Larry Dunn offered it and adjoining land to the botanic garden.

Experts said it would require years and millions of dollars in mine reclamation and remediation to create a garden that could use on-site water.

"[3] To try to cut down on these expenses the garden's board applied for government and foundation grants and sought to find a company "that could remove the remaining coal while also reclaiming the land and treating the acidic groundwater.

"[4] That same year "a 400,000 gallon underground cistern was constructed to supplement the garden’s future irrigation system and eliminate dependence on municipal water.

The historic farmhouse, located across the street from the Davidson Events Center, retains its original foundation and serves as the Garden's administration building.

[5] In 2011, the Sprout Tree Nursery, complete with greenhouse, storage shed and composter, was built as part of the planned Production and Research Center.

[5][4] With grants from the Garden Club of Allegheny County,[10] an eight-acre meadow "features over 550 native white-flowering dogwood trees, now an exceptional and rare collection due to ravages of disease over the past 25 years.