February

Kitchen Gardens Course

Tuesdays, February 9, 16 & 23, 6-8pm
Instructor:  Jack Bishop, 40+year seasoned vegetable gardener
Cost:  $30 (free for CGC volunteers)

All you need to know for vegetable gardening success - whether you want to grow a few salad plants or a full herb or vegetable garden!  Topics covered include:  garden size and location, soil fertility, planting times, seeds, instructions for growing vegetables & herbs, dealing with pests, crop preservation, starting plants from seeds, saving seeds & organic gardening methods.

CGDT: Basic Organic Vegetable Gardening

Wednesday, February 10, 6-8:30pm
Instructor:  Dave Koester, Campbell County Extension Agent
Cost:  Free - SORRY - This Class is Full

Topics: Timing the vegetable garden, seasonal considerations, fall gardening, variety selection and intensive gardening techniques, succession planting and companion planting.

Gardening by the Almanac

Saturday, February 13, 1-2pm
Instructor:  Jerome Wigner, CGC Volunteer & seasoned vegetable gardener
Cost:  $10 (free for CGC volunteers)

The Farmer's Almanac has been used for hundreds of years as a planting and weather guide.  Find out the history of the Almanac, what's inside, why it's in there and how you can use it in your own gardening practices.  Bring your copy of the 2010 Farmer's Almanac.

Season Extenders

Saturday, February 20, 10-Noon
Instructor:  Scott Beuerlein, Owner of Heritage Gardens
Cost:  $10 (free for CGC volunteers)
Life is short. So is spring and summer. Make your garden earn its keep by giving you 12 full months of interest. Learn which plants and features will have you "out in the cold" enjoying their unique beauty.

March

Raspberries & Blackberries for the Tri-state Gardener

Wednesday, March 3, 6-8pm
Instructor:  Michele Stanton, M.S., Instructor of Horticulture, University of Cincinnati
Cost:  $10 (free for CGC volunteers)
Would you grow raspberries or blackberries if you knew they were easy to care for, tastier than store bought, and didn’t require much time or space?  
In this class you will learn:  How to choose and prepare the best site for your berries, which cultivars perform well here, where to buy good-quality plants, pruning and training, pests, fertilizing, watering and harvesting and storing fruit.  (We don’t need to tell you how delicious they are!)

Fragrant Shrubs: Appealing Olfactory Options for the Garden

Tuesday, March 9, Noon-1pm
Instructor:  Paul Koloszar, Horticulturist III
Cost:  $10 (free for CGC volunteers)
Good scents can bring as much (or even more) to a garden as pretty flowers. Paul will give his nose's well-considered opinion on several shrubs that could freshen the air in your landscape.

CGDT: Garden Site Visits

Saturday, March 13, 10am-1pm
Instructor:  Peter Huttinger, NG Coordinator
Cost:  Free Click here to register
The CGDT Class will visit garden sites to be developed by CGDT participants and an established community garden.

Landscaping for Backyard Birds

Saturday, March 13, 10am-Noon
Instructor:  Brian Jorg, Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden Horticulturist
Cost:  $10 (free for CGC volunteers)
Join horticulturist and avid birder Brian Jorg for Landscaping for Backyard Birds. This class will cover practical landscaping tips that will help you create a haven for our winged wonders.  The class will also cover some of the most common birds that we are likely to attract to our backyards.

Growing Mushrooms

Saturday, March 13, 2:30 - 4:30pm
Instructors: Cara Hague, Horticulturist I & Corina Bullock, Youth Education Coordinator
Cost: $25
Our October Mushroom workshop was such a hit, we are offering this one for all those who couldn’t attend, and anyone who has since been inspired to grow their own mushrooms!  You will learn the basics of how to inoculate a log with mushroom spores to cultivate Shitake mushrooms, and come away with a log for growing mushrooms at home.

Master Composter Training Course

Held in collaboration with Hamilton County Department of Environmental Services
Monday, March 15, 6-8:30pm
Monday, March 22, 6-8:30pm
Monday, March 29, 6-8:30pm
Instructor:  John Duke, Master Composter, Master Gardener & Founder of American Compost Society
Cost:  Free Click here to register
Unravel the mysteries of how and why composting works and get a first-hand experience of various composting methods. Learn which will work best for your own garden and construct a simple “bin.”  Learn about the fascinating biology of a compost pile and the cycle of life that occurs in decomposing organic matter.  A vermi-composting system will be available to participants for a nominal fee.  Students are asked to pass on what is learned. To complete the course and earn a certificate, fifteen hours of volunteer service are to be completed within one year from the last class. Many volunteer options are available to fulfill this requirement. 

Proper Spring Pruning Techniques

Saturday, March 20, 10am-Noon
Instructor:  Paul Koloszar, Horticulturist III
Cost:  $10 (free for CGC volunteers)
Clip it, clip it good!  The right tools and techniques for pruning can make the difference between butchery and having plants with healthy, aesthetically pleasing forms.  Learn how to properly prune various trees and shrubs in this hands-on class with Paul.

Rain Barrels for Everyone!

Saturday, March 20, 1-2:30pm
Instructor: Jerome Wigner, CGC Volunteer
Cost:  $10 (free for CGC volunteers)
FREE WATER for your plants! Come learn how to construct and use a rain collection system from Jerome Wigner, rain collector extraordinaire! A rain barrel is a great way to help with storm water runoff and save a little money spent on summer watering. Jerome has tips that will help you install a barrel at your home.

How to Have Your Best Garden Ever!

Tuesday, March 23, 6-8pm
Instructor: Holly Utrata-Halcomb, Administrator, Hamilton County Soil & Water Conservation District
Cost:  $10 (free for CGC volunteers)
Just as you need the right ingredients to make a perfect cake, your outdoor plants need the right nutrients, soil texture, moisture and light to perform at their best. This class will provide you with the basics on how to do just that! Information on macro and micro nutrients will be shared along with instructions on how to test your soil fertility and adjust the levels for maximum growth. Soil fertility test kits will be available for purchase at the workshop at a reduced rate.

CGDT:  Designing Your Community Gardening Project

Wednesday, March 24, 6-8:30pm
Instructor:  Peter Huttinger, NG Coordinator
Cost:  Free Click here to register
This CGDT class will feature a hands-on design session of CGDT participants’ community garden sites.

Fruit Tree Cultivation & Pruning

March 27, 10am-1pm
Instructor:  Dave Koester, Campbell County Extension Agent
Cost:  $10 (free for CGC volunteers)
An introduction to the cultivating and pruning of fruit trees for the homeowner and community gardener.  This class will include a classroom presentation and an onsite pruning demonstration at a CGC community garden.

Natural Egg Dying

Sunday, March 28, 2-4pm
Instructor: Corina Bullock, Youth Education Coordinator
Cost:  $5
Have fun as we learn to decorate eggs with natural dyes made from familiar plants, apply natural dried botanicals, and create a charming basket. Wear old clothes or bring an apron. Adult supervision suggested for younger children.

 

April

CGDT:  Basic Botany & Seed Starting

Wednesday, April 7, 6-8:30pm
Instructors:  CGC Horticulturist, Peter Huttinger, NG Coordinator & Corina Bullock, YE Coordinator
Cost:  Free Click here to register
Part 1: Basic Botany:  Learn what you need to know to grow healthy plants in your garden.
Part 2: Seed Starting:  Learn the process of starting plants from seed indoors and out.

Sustainable Gardening with Native Herbs

Saturday, April 10, 10am-Noon
Instructor: Lynda Hogan, Herb Society of America
Cost:  $10
Are you concerned with the health of our native plants?  Gather all the knowledge and resources to provide habitats for pollinators - building “GreenBridges.”  Enjoy presentations about indigenous herbs, invasive species and lament over the collection of native herbs.  Network with others with the same interests and find out how you can help provide Green Social Security for the future.  Information and a guided walk through the gardens at the CGC from Judy Mullins of Mullins Log Cabin (weather permitting),  Lynda Hogan, Herb Society of America Green Bridges Committee, United Plant Savers, WildFlower Farms and others.  Stay afterwards to enjoy an herbal tisane, herb tea cookies and a field salad.

 

Edible Landscaping

Monday, April 12, 6-8pm
Instructor:  Sue Trusty, Horticulturist
Cost:  $10 (free for CGC volunteers)
Wouldn’t it be great if you could grow fresh, healthy and wholesome fruits, vegetables and herbs without devoting a part of your landscape to a special “vegetable garden”? Learn how you can enhance your landscape using the best and most beautiful edible plants – some common and some unusual. Your landscape can be just as attractive, but also productive when you plant the right trees, shrubs and herbaceous cultivars. There is even a long list of edible flowers!

Shortcuts to Becoming a Better Gardener

Wednesday, April 14, Noon-1pm
Instructor:  Scott Beuerlein, Owner of Heritage Gardens
Cost:  $10 (free for CGDT volunteers)
Bypass all the false starts, dead ends, detours and distractions and find yourself on the fast track to inspired and skilled gardening. This pragmatic talk will focus on the best references, the greatest resources and sources, as well as the finest people, organizations, philosophies and techniques to launch you into the heady world of competent gardening.

 

CGDT:  Construction Techniques for the Gardener

Saturday, April 17, 10-1pm
Instructors:  Peter Huttinger, NG Coordinator & Corina Bullock, YE Coordinator
Cost:  Free Click here to register
This CGDT class will cover basic construction techniques and procedures for gardeners, including how to build a raised bed, cold frame and trellis/climbing structures.

Composting Basics

Tuesday, April 20, Noon-1pm
Instructor: Corina Bullock, Youth Education Coordinator
Cost: Free Click here to register
Use your lunch hour to learn the basics of composting.  This earth-friendly technique uses the rotting power of nature to convert your yard waste into valuable garden amendments.

Homegrown Tomatoes

Tuesday, April 20, 6-8pm
Instructor:  Jack Bishop, 40+year seasoned vegetable gardener
Cost:  $10 (free for CGC volunteers)
A guide for the tomato gardener in the quest for the perfect tomato and the beginner tomator gardener!  Grow varieties with superior flavor and color that you can’t find at your local supplier.  Topics will include origin & history, soil fertility, seed and plant variety selection, growing & harvesting, pests, saving seeds, starting plants from seeds, seed and plant suppliers.

 

CGDT:  Garden Practicum (off site)

Saturday, April 24, 10-1pm
Instructor:  Peter Huttinger, NG Coordinator & Corina Bullock, YE Coordinator
Cost:  Free Click here to register
This CGDT class will feature a hands on work session at a garden under development by a CGDT participant group.