Elizabeth Lewis Lawrence (1904-1985) was born in Marietta, Georgia, to Elizabeth "Bessie" Clement Bradenbaugh Lawrence (1876-1964) and Samuel "Sam" Lawrence (1875-1936). Elizabeth had one sister, Ann de Treville Lawrence Way (1908-1980). In 1916 the Lawrence family moved to Raleigh, North Carolina, where her father established Lawrence Sand and Gravel Company. Elizabeth attended Barnard College in New York, graduating with a Bachelor of Arts in 1926. In 1932 she graduated from North Carolina State College of Agriculture and Engineering (later known as North Carolina State University) with a Bachelor of Science in landscape architecture, making her the first female graduate of that program. In the 1930s she began writing gardening articles for various publications such as Garden Gossip and House & Garden.

In 1948 Elizabeth and her mother moved to Charlotte to be closer to her sister, Ann. Elizabeth designed a one-story house at 348 Ridgewood Avenue where she lived with her mother, and then by herself after her mother's death, until 1984. Elizabeth developed an extensive garden and corresponded avidly with other gardeners about gardening. She began writing a weekly garden column for The Charlotte Observer in 1957, continuing for fourteen years and totally over 700 columns. Elizabeth also wrote several garden books which helped her reach broader audiences and become internationally known. Her books include, A Southern Garden: A Handbook for the Middle South (1942), The Little Bulbs: A Tale of Two Gardens (1957), Gardens in Winter (1961), and Lob's Wood (1971). Some of her manuscripts have been published posthumously and she is recognized as one of most influential American gardeners and garden writers of the 20th century. The Charlotte-Mecklenburg Historic Landmarks Commission designated the Elizabeth Lawrence House and Garden as a local historic landmark and the National Park Service listed them in the National Register of Historic Places. The property is also a Preservation Partner of The Garden Conservancy.