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

COST: Free!

We’ll be putting the hoop house to bed for the season.

We’ll be learning what to do with all those leaves that are piling up in the lawn. (Hint: It WON’T involve black trash bags!)

Come out and play: Learn basic block printing and create your own art! In this hands-on workshop, Amy Gable of Yam Happy will guide you through designing your own stamp, transferring it to linoleum, and carving your own block. You’ll have time to use your stamp to print on paper, stickers, and a zippered pouch to take home along with your stamp. All materials will be provided.

INSTRUCTOR: Amy Gable

COST: $35

Jam as preservation is a fun, accessible way to reclaim our access to food while getting more out of our pantry. Whether you need to preserve a bountiful harvest, use up leftover produce, or make sure those tomatoes your kid decided they don't like anymore don't go to waste, your problem can be solved by a jam or jelly!

We'll begin with a brief lecture and a tasting, then go over specific directions. You'll work in groups to prepare our chosen recipes (a savory jam and a sweet jelly), and we'll end with some time for Q&A.

INSTRUCTOR: Victoria Hennings (CGC Community Engagement Coordinator)

COST: $35

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 for children ages 3 to 8 and their caregivers offers our youngest gardeners and nature lovers an opportunity to learn more about the natural world. We hold Lil' Sprouts on the second and fourth Monday of each month.

COST: Free!

A sturdy set of garden tools, well cared for, can be lifelong partners in all your outdoor adventures! This hands-on demonstration of proper tool maintenance will include simple methods for cleaning, sharpening, and using your favorite garden tools.

Have a dull spade or rusty pair of pruners lying around? Bring it along for a touch-up. You're also welcome to practice with the tools we'll provide. By the time you leave, we hope you're feeling confident in garden tool care and ready to save money by making your tools last a lifetime!

INSTRUCTOR: Jack Parlin (CGC Program Associate)

COST: $20 / $15 for active CGC volunteers

Fall is the perfect time for collecting and sharing seeds and extra plants. Join us for a casual potluck and leave with ornamental plants and seeds from fellow CGC members’ gardens!

See event description for details.

COST: Included with active CGC membership

Botanical gin is in, and we're here to help you make your own! In this class, we'll cover the basics of harvesting garden treasures to create your very own infusion. We'll learn about the different flavoring elements used in traditional and modern gin distilling and sample some native botanicals.

You'll leave with your own botanical blend and instructions for infusing it into the vodka of your choice after class. Make your next dinner party pop when you serve your own unique botanical gin! (This event is 21+.)

INSTRUCTORS: Julie Dennewitz (CGC Horticulturist) and Mary Dudley (CGC Director of Education)

COST: $35

We’ll be revealing the ultimate secret to a beautiful garden on a budget: how to divide and transplant perennials.

We’re breaking ground on the Green Buffer of native shrubs and perennials that will welcome future visitors and beautify a busy intersection.

For our final performance in the 2026 Hauck Concert Series, we’ll gather together in the CGC’s auditorium to hear beautiful string quartet music. Throughout the afternoon, we’ll share spiced wine and mulled cider, light bites, guided conversation and good company. At the end of the event, we’ll raffle off the one-of-a-kind centerpieces–all made by CGC Horticulturist Julie from garden findings–for lucky audience members to take home. Each ticket includes one (1) drink ticket and light bites.

PRICING:

• Through December 15, all four concerts in the series can be purchased together for a discounted series price of $125 (a $35 savings)! (Please note that ticket exchanges and partial refunds are not available on series tickets.)

• Starting December 16, any remaining tickets to individual concerts will be available for purchase; see pricing information for individual concerts below.

The best part about having a native plant garden is that you can skip the big fall cleanup! Let’s hang out and talk about what we like to do instead, and how we manage those piles and piles of leaves every fall.

FACILITATOR: Julie Dennewitz (CGC Horticulturist)

COST: Included with CGC membership

Join CGC Community Engagement Coordinator Victoria for a special opportunity to connect and collaborate!

Learn how to create a seasonal wreath or centerpiece with materials gathered from the garden! These all-natural works of art can be enjoyed through the holiday season and beyond. We’ll supply woven wreath forms, wire and tools and assist you in harvesting and constructing your own personalized autumn décor piece.

INSTRUCTOR: Julie Dennewitz (CGC Horticulturist)

COST: $35

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 Luis Aguilar-Dwyer, our Environmental Education Specialist.

COST: Free!

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. Join us for an informal walk around Hauck Botanic Garden and discover the history of the park and the plants growing within it.

COST: Free!

We’ll be revealing the ultimate secret to a beautiful garden on a budget: how to divide and transplant perennials.

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 for children ages 3 to 8 and their caregivers offers our youngest gardeners and nature lovers an opportunity to learn more about the natural world. We hold Lil' Sprouts on the second and fourth Monday of each month.

COST: Free!

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

COST: Free!

Join us for a beloved annual CGC event!

Choose to create a centerpiece, 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 Julie Dennewitz (CGC Horticulturist)

COST: $50

Join us for a beloved annual CGC event!

Choose to create a centerpiece, 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 Julie Dennewitz (CGC Horticulturist)

COST: $50

Please join us for our annual Winter Open House! This festive community appreciation event is open to all. Drop by any time between 4:30 and 7pm to celebrate with the CGC community, grab a bite to eat, and let us say THANK YOU for a great year together!

COST: Free (please RSVP so we have a head count)

We’ll be reviewing student submissions to our Green Teens Challenge and awarding points based on provided rubrics.

Sharpen your coffee-tasting skills with Cody Brown, Director of Operations for Proud Hound Coffee!

In this beginner-friendly class, Cody will take you on a deep-dive sensory journey through the world of coffee—including its geography, essential processes (like farming, processing, and roasting), the people around the world who make it possible. After a lecture and demonstration, you'll get hands-on to learn specific tasting skills such as identifying profile notes. You'll also have the opportunity to ask questions.

INSTRUCTOR: Cody Brown (Proud Hound Director of Operations)

COST: $35

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 for children ages 3 to 8 and their caregivers offers our youngest gardeners and nature lovers an opportunity to learn more about the natural world. We hold Lil' Sprouts on the second and fourth Monday of each month.

COST: Free!

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 Luis Aguilar-Dwyer, our Environmental Education Specialist.

COST: Free!

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. Join us for an informal walk around Hauck Botanic Garden and discover the history of the park and the plants growing within it.

COST: Free!

We’ll be reviewing student submissions to our Green Teens Challenge and awarding points based on provided rubrics.

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 12 sessions from January through April.

COST: Free

Starting in 2027, we’re opening the CGC Book Club up to our community and inviting you to come and read with us. January's book is The Comfort of Crows: A Backyard Year by Margaret Renkl. This 52-chapter literary devotional follows the creatures and plants in the author’s backyard over the course of one year. We’ll have discussion questions prepared to get the conversation flowing. All you need to bring is yourself (and a baked good to share, if you'd like).

COST: Free (registration required)

We’re used to seeing plants all around us. But have you ever wondered what those plants sound like? Percussionist Jacob Ottmer returns to the Hauck Concert Series to present Jacob’s Electric Garden, an exploration of music that incorporates the sounds of amplified plant matter. Following the performance, each listener will have the option to pot up a cutting of one of the plant species used in the concert to take home with them as a reminder that there is more to plants than meets the eye. The event will conclude with some open experimentation time during which audience members will have the opportunity to ask questions and try out some of the percussion set-ups.

COST: Special series pricing is available through the end of November ($125). After that, tickets will be available for individual purchase ($35).

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.

INSTRUCTOR: Julie Dennewitz (CGC Horticulturist)

COST:

• Three-class series: $50 (available until December 14)

• Individual class: $20 / $15 for active CGC volunteers (available starting December 15)

We’ll be reviewing student submissions to our Green Teens Challenge and awarding points based on provided rubrics.

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 Cacti & Succulents, we'll explore these 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.

INSTRUCTOR: Julie Dennewitz (CGC Horticulturist)

COST:

• Three-class series: $50 (available until December 14)

• Individual class: $20 / $15 for active CGC volunteers (available starting December 15)

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 Indoor Jungles, we’ll cover the color foliage, vibrant vines and indoor trees that can give a home that tropical feel even in the coldest days of winter.

INSTRUCTOR: Julie Dennewitz (CGC Horticulturist)

COST:

• Three-class series: $50 (available until December 14)

• Individual class: $20 / $15 for active CGC volunteers (available starting December 15)

Greenspaces come in many shapes and sizes. From a neighborhood pocket park to your local forest preserve, every greenspace is important. They provide crucial ecosystem services and give people a place to play, relax and connect with nature. However, managing these spaces can be a challenge. Greenspace Guardians gives people the resources and know-how to start and sustain greenspace projects in their community. If you’d like to learn how to play a leadership role in conservation projects on public lands, you’re in the right place!

COST: $300 (scholarships available)

We’ll be reviewing student submissions to our Green Teens Challenge and awarding points based on provided rubrics.

Starting in 2027, we’re opening the CGC Book Club up to our community and inviting you to come and read with us. Our March book is The Signature of All Things by Elizabeth Gilbert. This sweeping novel of desire, ambition, and the thirst for knowledge tells the story of a brilliant 19th century botanist. We’ll have discussion questions prepared to get the conversation flowing. All you need to bring is yourself (and a baked good to share, if you'd like).

COST: Free (registration required)

R. Murray Schafer was a Canadian composer, educator, and environmentalist who favored graphic notation, representing his compositions using symbols and forms that look very little like traditional music notation. He also founded the field of acoustic ecology or soundscape studies, which examines how sound mediates the relationship between humans and their environments—in fact, World Listening Day is his birthday. This ecologically themed choral concert will explore Schafer’s music and the experience of representing sound in visual form. The event will include an introductory lecture by CCM professor and leading Schafer scholar L. Brett Scott, and audience members will have the opportunity to create their own visual soundscape.

COST: Special series pricing is available through the end of November ($125). After that, tickets will be available for individual purchase ($35).

Humans across the centuries have admired birds—through art, poetry, and, of course, music! From the delicate melodies inspired by birdsong to the rich imagery of German, English, and French poetry, Beloved Birds will explore the many ways birds have captured the human imagination. Through beautiful art song, soprano Kaylyn Taylor Baldwin invites listeners into a world where birds become symbols of freedom, longing, love, and the wonders of the natural world. As we celebrate the enduring connections between art and its feathered muses, we will also hear from local experts about the importance of urban greenspaces in bird migrations and how we can be good hosts to the birds that pass through our gardens each year.

COST: Special series pricing is available through the end of November ($125). After that, tickets will be available for individual purchase ($35).

At our final concert in the 2027 Hauck Series, OLEA Ensemble will present ‘Sounds from Nature,’ which explores the human desire to be alone with nature through music for clarinet, violin, and piano. Being alone in nature allows us to simultaneously feel the peace of being isolated from other people with the comfort of being connected to plants and animals. The program will feature two newly commissioned works: I Go Among Trees and Sit Still by Owen Hopper, which uses an electronic track along with soothing and introspective melodies to take the listeners on an aural journey through natural landscapes across America, and Artisanal Shanties by Brad Balliett, which uses bird calls and Irish melodies to create images of coastal environments. The program will be interwoven with nature-based mindfulness activities that audience members can use to deepen their experience in natural environments.

COST: Special series pricing is available through the end of November ($125). After that, tickets will be available for individual purchase ($35).