Come de-stress, laugh, smile, and enjoy the pure silliness and fun of Goat Yoga! For this special edition, the goats will be dressed up in their best holiday sweaters.

The cutest and friendliest farm babies in town are ready to play and snuggle with you. In this gentle, beginner-friendly session, you'll learn the basics of stress reduction through yogic breathing and postures while small baby or Nigerian Dwarf goats run about, climb on you, snuggle and bring laughter spontaneously in the moment as only goats can do! We'll spend 45 minutes doing Goat Yoga, then you'll spend 15 minutes petting the goats and taking photos with them.

This event is suitable for ages 10 and up. A standard Liability Waiver is required to participate and must be signed by a parent for minors.

Farmer Rob has been teaching yoga for over 20 years. The goats are from Good Green Earth Farm, an educational farm that brings farm animals to schools and daycare centers all around the Cincinnati and Dayton regions.

Cost: $25

This class is sold out, but you can join the waitlist!

This holiday season, transport your taste buds to the sun-soaked shores of the Mediterranean with our Mediterranean Charcuterie Board Cooking Class. In this hands-on class, you'll be guided by Kate Zaidan, owner of Dean's Mediterranean Imports, who will share her knowledge of and passion for Mediterranean Mezze (small bites)!

You'll be introduced to the essential components of a charcuterie board, from cheeses, cured meats, spreads and olives to fresh fruits, nuts and bread, and Kate will share insights into their origin and significance. We'll run through a couple simple recipes and share some pantry staples to have on hand to craft the perfect board.

You'll leave with a board of your own to take home and share with family!

Instructor: Kate Zaidan, owner of Dean’s Mediterranean Imports
Cost: $50

This class is sold out, but you can join the waitlist!

Join us for a beloved CGC annual event! You can choose to create a centerpiece or a wreath, garland or swag. We'll supply a bundle of fresh cut greens, ribbon and wreath forms or centerpiece trays you can slip into your own container at home. Plan to bring your own pruners, wire-cutters or scissors. Gloves are recommended.

Warm refreshments and holiday spirit will be on tap! A limited quantity of extra greens, and a selection of arrangement accents will be available for purchase.

Instructors: Sue Sturgeon (Master Gardener and CGC Board President) and Julie Dennewitz (CGC Horticulturist)
Cost: $50

This class is sold out, but you can join the waitlist!

Bigger. Better. Even more festive. Please join us for our annual Winter Open House! This year, we'll be filling up our auditorium and library with live music, a special holiday cocktail, refreshments and treats for the entire family, and more. Drop by any time between 4:30 and 6:30pm and let us say THANK YOU for a great year together!

Questions? Email info@civicgardencenter.org or call us at (513) 221-0981.

This fall, we’re partnering with Alms Park Allies to remove invasive plants in Alms Park…and we need your help! Join us in removing invasive honeysuckle and non-native vines that are damaging the native ecosystem. CGC staff and members of Alms Park Allies will teach volunteers how to identify and safely remove these invasive plants so beneficial native plants can take their place.

We’ll meet at Alms Park Pavilion, 4H6C+P6 Cincinnati, OH 45226 and go from there!

Come learn how to preserve a little slice of nature as a window ornament during this family-friendly workshop! We’ll learn about epoxy resin art, then take a walk through the garden to gather natural materials to use in our own piece of art. Once we have our materials, we’ll get hands on to mix and pour our cookie-sized window ornaments, incorporating the natural treasures we found. Once your ornament has set, it will be yours to take home and display or gift as you like!

This family-friendly workshop is designed for children ages 3 and up and their caregivers. Children must be accompanied by an adult for the duration of the workshop. Please reserve one place for each child; adults need not register.

Cost: $5

This class is sold out, but you can join the waitlist!

Join us for an engaging hands-on workshop to explore the medicinal benefits of herbs readily available in your garden! Through this collaborative learning experience, you'll create personalized healing salves to take home and enjoy or share with loved ones.

Instructor: Indigo Ikemba of EGoWellness
Cost: $35

This class is sold out, but you can join the waitlist!

Kickstart your week with a trip to the garden and engage in seasonally relevant activities with the Lil’ Sprouts in your life! This free drop-in series offers our youngest gardeners and nature lovers an opportunity to learn more about the natural world. Learners of all levels are welcome to join in and further their knowledge of plants.

Achieving a beautiful garden in July is pretty simple. Flowers are blooming and everything looks green and lush. But keeping that same garden beautiful in December takes a little more thought.

In this class, we’ll look at which native plants provide “winter interest” such as elegant bark, bright berries or unique seedheads. Then we’ll talk about how you can use these plants in the landscape to create a garden that looks great and supports wildlife all year long.

This class is for both beginner gardeners and those looking to take their native plant knowledge to the next level. We’ll start with an informative presentation then take a tour of Hauck Botanic Garden to see some examples of winter interest (weather permitting). You’ll leave with a list of recommended plants and plenty of inspiration for your own four-season garden. Your ticket includes admittance to our Native Plants for Homeowners Q&A on Saturday, December 14 as well.

Instructor: Julie Dennewitz, CGC Horticulturist
Cost: $25 / $20 for active CGC volunteers

This class is sold out, but you can join the waitlist! You can also join us for Native Plants for Homeowners Q&A on Saturday, December 14.

Come learn about the benefits of fire cider! This traditional infusion of immune-supporting herbs in apple cider vinegar is an important part in a winter wellness pantry. You'll get to taste a variety of different recipes, then make your own potent formulation to take home from a variety of herbal ingredients.

Your instructor will be local herbalist Meghan Henshaw. She has spent many years studying the plethora of ways in which medicinal plants are woven into the fabric of everyday life. This has led her all over the United States and abroad to Morocco, England, Mexico, and Italy where she has worn many hats as a field researcher, wildcrafter, herbalist, and educator.

Her medicinal plant studies began with an internship with a large herb company twenty years ago and was followed by formal botanical study at numerous universities, resulting in degrees in herbal science and ethnobotany, the academic study of how people use plants. She currently works as an editor for the American Botanical Council, makes small batch herbal products, provides herbal support to her clients, and teaches locally about medicinal plants.

Meghan is passionate about herbalism being accessible to all and is inspired by the plethora of radical projects and people actively working to decolonize herbalism (and the world) in boldly creative and joyful ways. She is especially interested in social equity and sustainability in the herbal supply chain and endangered medicinal plants found in the Midwest region.

For more information, please check out https://www.ocotilloherbals.com/

The 2024 gardening season is over and we know you’re already planning next year’s garden. But you may still have plant questions that have gone unanswered. If you’re wondering what to plant when and how, bring your questions to our Native Plants for Homeowners Q&A and let our panel of industry experts share their knowledge with you!

Panel will include Brian Heinz (Director of Horticulture at Spring Grove Arboretum), Jennifer Smith (Horticulturist and Garden Designer at Wimberg Landscaping), Sarah Geiger-Behm (Garden Designer at Wimberg Landscaping), Scott Beuerlein (Horticulturist at the Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Garden) and John Hemmerle (Founder of Our Land Organics). These local professionals will share their experiences working with native plants in the landscape and dive deep into any gardening topic you want to discuss! No question is too basic or too complicated, so come prepared for a lively discussion and be ready to leave with new knowledge and ideas for 2025.

Note: If you're signed up for Native Plants for Four Seasons, your ticket to that class includes admission to the Q&A. No need to purchase a separate ticket!

Cost: $10

With the passage of Issue 2 in November of 2023, home gardeners can now try their hand at growing Cannabis sp. Since this crop can require a significant investment on the part of the grower, it's important to learn best practices before starting out.

This course will cover the botany of Cannabis sp., the process of how to successfully grow it either indoors or outside and tips from our expert instructors. You'll walk away with a list of supplies, an understanding of next steps to take should you choose to embark on a new adventure and grow Cannabis sp. at home, and the tools to tackle the final tasks of production as your crop reaches maturity. The class will include time for questions.

Please note:

• Some of the legalities of growing this crop have not been finalized and it is the responsibility of each participant to research and follow all regulations according to the law.

• The Civic Garden Center and its staff does not provide any legal advice, and all inquiries will be directed to local and state legislatures.

• Participants in this class must be at least 21 years old. We will check IDs during class check-in as needed.

Instructors: Stephanie Fransen & Mary Dudley
Cost: $20 / $10 for active CGC volunteers

Have you checked out our Green Learning Station recently? We have rooftop gardens, a compost demonstration area, rainwater catchment systems and an indoor green wall, just to name a few of our current projects!

Join us for an informative, informal tour and have your sustainability questions answered by Mary Dudley, our Ecology Education Manager. These free tours are held biweekly on Tuesdays from 11am to noon, no registration required. See our calendar for additional dates.

Questions? Call (513) 221-0981 or email Mary Dudley: mdudley@civicgardencenter.org.

The Hauck Arboretum may just be Cincinnati’s best kept botanical secret! A stroll along the pathways of this historic public garden reveals new surprises on each visit. Which native plants are blooming this week? What wildlife visitors will you meet? How will you be inspired with ideas for your own landscape?

Join CGC Horticulturist Julie for an informal walk around Hauck Botanic Garden and learn all about the history of the park and the plants growing within it.

This half-mile tour will involve several steps and some uneven paths. Please wear comfortable shoes and dress for rain or shine.

These free tours are held once a month, no registration required. You can also make a morning of it and come to our GLS tour from 10-11am! See our calendar for additional dates.

Did you know that the Civic Garden Center is host to seven different types of composting systems? Take a walk with us as we learn about the different methods of composting we have and how you can incorporate composting into your life! On this tour, you’ll see Earth Cubes, vermicompost, bokashi, Johnson-Su bioreactors, a three-bin system, a tumbler and a top-loading composter.

This tour is held entirely outdoors and may be cancelled in the case of extreme weather.

Cost: Free! No registration required.

Questions? Reach out to Mary Dudley: mdudley@civicgardencenter.org.

There’s always a table reserved for you at the Botany Bistro! Here you can munch on bite-sized botany as you savor the science of plants. In 2025, Season 2 of this free, virtual botanical banquet is focused on 24 different plant families, exploring their unique characteristics and ways they have adapted through time. New videos are uploaded on the second and fourth Wednesday of each month at noon. Want a link to each video once it’s up? Sign up here!

This session is all about the Pinaceae family. The Pinaceae, or pine family, are conifer trees or shrubs, including many of the well-known conifers of commercial importance such as cedars, firs, hemlocks, piñons, larches, pines and spruces.

Seasonally, Botany Bistro will also meet virtually “live” to celebrate the equinoxes/solstices, chat about our adventures, hear about Mary’s behind the scenes bloopers and address questions sent in via the form linked in each video’s description on our YouTube channel.

To see the full schedule, meet the instructor, access the Botany Bistro archive and sign up for email notifications, click on Learn More below.

Be part of democracy in action and help us make native plant landscapes the new standard in Cincinnati!

Did you know that, according to Cincinnati Municipal Code, natural landscaping must be set back at least 3 feet from all property lines. Not only that, but plants growing in the right-of-way between road and sidewalk are not permitted to be taller than 10 inches. That doesn’t leave much room for natives! What’s a city gardener to do? Native plants risk being cited as weeds and closely cropped turf grass is still the gold standard for Cincinnati yards.

It doesn’t have to be this way. Cities like Minneapolis, Minnesota have established a right to install and maintain natural landscapes, provided they don’t interfere with sidewalks or roads. In fact, their Municipal Code states that native plants are “beneficial to the city's environment and its residents and… require fewer potentially harmful and costly inputs, improve stormwater retention, increase water quality and biodiversity, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and provide habitat for wildlife such as birds, butterflies and other beneficial insects and species.” (Duh! We knew all that!)

Minneapolis’s actions are part of a nation-wide trend, and we don’t want Cincinnati to be left behind. Last year, Ohio declared April as Native Plant Month, but we can’t stop there. Let’s spend a morning together writing letters to city councilmembers encouraging them to revise city code and let native plants grow! We’ll have stamps and envelopes ready to go, as well as coffee and pastries to enjoy. All that's missing is you!

Cost: Free!

Houseplants are wonderful additions to any indoor décor, whether it be at home, the office or a favorite restaurant. Caring for these indoor gardens can be a bit tricky, but once you have the know-how, you can enjoy growing a diverse array of plants indoors through any season!

Each class in our Houseplant How-To series will include a deep dive into specific indoor plant species, their unique characteristics and growing needs, common problems associated with their long-term care and the best ways to propagate them. In Houseplants for Beginners, we'll demystify the challenge of growing houseplants as we explore the basics. You'll learn what houseplants need to thrive and how to grow more to add to your collection. We'll specifically focus on the following species: air plants, aloe, spider plants, snake plants, zz plants, maidenhair fern and asparagus fern.

Instructors: Julie Dennewitz (CGC Horticulturist) and Mary Dudley (CGC Director of Education)
Cost: $20 / $15 for active CGC volunteers

Other classes in the series:

• Indoor Trees and Large Houseplants

• Succulent Houseplants

• Vining Houseplants

• Vibrant Houseplant Foliage

• Flowering Houseplants

Interested in growing food where you are? Whether you’re a backyard gardener or a community gardener, no matter your level of experience, attending the CGC’s Civic Gardener Development Training (CGDT) is the first step! This free series runs for 11 sessions from January through April.

The CGC is closed in observance of Martin Luther King, Jr. Day. We’ll see you on Tuesday!

Houseplants are wonderful additions to any indoor décor, whether it be at home, the office or a favorite restaurant. Caring for these indoor gardens can be a bit tricky, but once you have the know-how, you can enjoy growing a diverse array of plants indoors through any season!

Each class in our Houseplant How-To series will include a deep dive into specific indoor plant species, their unique characteristics and growing needs, common problems associated with their long-term care and the best ways to propagate them.

Maintaining a large, mature houseplant can be a bit overwhelming. Join us for Indoor Trees and Large Houseplants as we share helpful hints on growing bigger indoor plants such as traveler’s palm, parlor palm, dracaena, fiddle leaf fig, money plant, rubber plants and fruiting trees.

Instructors: Julie Dennewitz (CGC Horticulturist) and Mary Dudley (CGC Director of Education)
Cost: $20 / $15 for active CGC volunteers

Other classes in the series:

• Houseplants for Beginners

• Succulent Houseplants

• Vining Houseplants

• Vibrant Houseplant Foliage

• Flowering Houseplants

Houseplants are wonderful additions to any indoor décor, whether it be at home, the office or a favorite restaurant. Caring for these indoor gardens can be a bit tricky, but once you have the know-how, you can enjoy growing a diverse array of plants indoors through any season!

Each class in our Houseplant How-To series will include a deep dive into specific indoor plant species, their unique characteristics and growing needs, common problems associated with their long-term care and the best ways to propagate them.

In Succulent Houseplants, we'll do a deep dive into the fleshy, typically drought-tolerant plants that are ubiquitous in houseplant culture. Some growers have no issues with them, but they can be tricky for others. This class will cover the basics of growing succulents such as lithops, haworthia, cactus, euphorbia, echeveria and jade plants.

Instructors: Julie Dennewitz (CGC Horticulturist) and Mary Dudley (CGC Director of Education)
Cost: $20 / $15 for active CGC volunteers

Other classes in the series:

• Houseplants for Beginners

• Indoor Trees and Large Houseplants

• Vining Houseplants

• Vibrant Houseplant Foliage

• Flowering Houseplants

Join the next generation of conservation stewards!

Public lands in southwest Ohio are under constant threat from invasive species—but local governments and other land-owning entities don’t have the funding or capacity to effectively restore and manage forested lands on their own. Instead, they rely on volunteers for the additional capacity required to manage invasive species.

That’s where YOU come in! The Civic Garden Center’s Greenspace Guardians certification is an 11-month training that equips volunteers with the skills and knowledge required to play a leadership role in restoring public greenspaces and managing them long term. The program blends classroom time with on-site visits to local restoration projects to give you the skills you need to take on leadership roles with conservation-focused local organizations.

Cost: $250 (scholarships available)

Houseplants are wonderful additions to any indoor décor, whether it be at home, the office or a favorite restaurant. Caring for these indoor gardens can be a bit tricky, but once you have the know-how, you can enjoy growing a diverse array of plants indoors through any season!

Each class in our Houseplant How-To series will include a deep dive into specific indoor plant species, their unique characteristics and growing needs, common problems associated with their long-term care and the best ways to propagate them.

In Vining Houseplants, we'll look at those trailing vines and training tendrils that add texture to any indoor space. With the proper care, these plants can be divided and given away to friends or used to increase your own inventory. This class will focus on the following species: ivy, tradescantia, pothos, philodendron, monstera, hoya and string of pearls.

Instructors: Julie Dennewitz (CGC Horticulturist) and Mary Dudley (CGC Director of Education)
Cost: $20 / $15 for active CGC volunteers

Other classes in the series:

• Houseplants for Beginners

• Indoor Trees and Large Houseplants

• Succulent Houseplants

• Vibrant Houseplant Foliage

• Flowering Houseplants

Houseplants are wonderful additions to any indoor décor, whether it be at home, the office or a favorite restaurant. Caring for these indoor gardens can be a bit tricky, but once you have the know-how, you can enjoy growing a diverse array of plants indoors through any season!

Each class in our Houseplant How-To series will include a deep dive into specific indoor plant species, their unique characteristics and growing needs, common problems associated with their long-term care and the best ways to propagate them.

Indoor plants can be a much-needed pop of color any time of the year. Vibrant Houseplant Foliage will highlight the wide array of colorful leaves found in these species: croton, calathea, peperomia, oxalis, arrowhead and alocasia. Understanding the needs of these plants is crucial for vibrant leaf color.

Instructors: Julie Dennewitz (CGC Horticulturist) and Mary Dudley (CGC Director of Education)
Cost: $20 / $15 for active CGC volunteers

Other classes in the series:

• Houseplants for Beginners

• Indoor Trees and Large Houseplants

• Succulent Houseplants

• Vining Houseplants

• Flowering Houseplants

Houseplants are wonderful additions to any indoor décor, whether it be at home, the office or a favorite restaurant. Caring for these indoor gardens can be a bit tricky, but once you have the know-how, you can enjoy growing a diverse array of plants indoors through any season!

Each class in our Houseplant How-To series will include a deep dive into specific indoor plant species, their unique characteristics and growing needs, common problems associated with their long-term care and the best ways to propagate them.

Some indoor spaces have enough light to support the growth of flowering plants. Flowering Houseplants will cover the needs of orchids, peace lilies, cyclamen, poinsettia, kalanchoe, jasmine and begonia plants. We'll discuss additional inputs required for reliable blooms.

Instructors: Julie Dennewitz (CGC Horticulturist) and Mary Dudley (CGC Director of Education)
Cost: $20 / $15 for active CGC volunteers

Other classes in the series:

• Houseplants for Beginners

• Indoor Trees and Large Houseplants

• Succulent Houseplants

• Vining Houseplants

• Vibrant Houseplant Foliage

The CGC is closed in observance of Memorial Day. We’ll see you on Tuesday!

The CGC is closed in observance of Juneteenth. We’ll see you on Friday!

The CGC is closed in observance of the Fourth of July. We’ll see you next week!

The CGC is closed in observance of Labor Day. We’ll see you next week!