Spring - Civic Garden Center of Greater Cincinnati€¦ · Rhinegeist Brewery Ridgeway Foundation...

SEXECUTIVE DIRECTORrsquoSMESSAGE

SpringSpring

SEXECUTIVE DIRECTORrsquoSMESSAGE

STAFF

Karen Kahle x30 Executive Directorkkahlecivicgardencenterorg

Terry Houston x18Executive Assistantthoustoncivicgardencenterorg

Ellie Falk x35Youth Education Coordinatoryoutheducationcivicgardencenterorg

Kylie Johnson x16Green Learning Station Coordinatorkjohnsoncivicgardencenterorg

Greg Potter x11Community Gardens Coordinatorgpottercivicgardencenterorg

Greg Torres x26Horticulturistgtorrescivicgardencenterorg

Sam Settlemyre x17Volunteer Coordinatorvolunteercivicgardencenterorg

Johnny BissellFacilities Technician

BOARD OF DIRECTORS Thanks to these folks for overseeing the CGC operations and for the direction they provide

Greg AllenJames AllenPatrick EdmundsLarry McGruderKati NeffJeff WebelerSusy SpenceNancy StrasselLaura StudawaySusan SturgeonDann HotellingStephanie Maher

LOBBY HOURS - CLOSED TO THE PUBLIC UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE

Admission to the facility and Hoffman Library is free

513 221-0981 (p)513 221-0961 (f)wwwcivicgardencenterorg

TABLE OF CONTENTS

From I-71 South

bull Take William Howard Taft Exit 3 bull Turn right on Reading Road at the White Castle bull Turn left on Oak Street and then an immediate left into the parking lot

From I-71 North

bull Take Reading Road Exit 2 bull Turn left on Oak Street and then an immediate left into the parking lot

DIRECTIONS

Civic Garden Center 2715 Reading Road Cincinnati OH 45206

1

2

3

6

7

8

10

12

14

16

Executive Directorrsquos Messageamp Greetings From The President

Hauck Society

Donations

The Plant Sale

Online Education

Green Learning Station

Community Gardens

Youth Education

Volunteering

Horticulture

The Civic Garden Centerrsquos Quarterly NewsletterKaren Kahle PublisherSam Settlemyre Designer

SpringSpring

wwwcivicgardencenterorg 1

bull Continue producing online content focused on gardening horticulture and sustainability content that helps people learn and provides some hope Organize our classes our field trips and our volunteer workdays to operate safely in the smaller groups that are likely to be recommended until a vaccine is found

bull Find ways to weave into the education we pride ourselves on providing what this pandemic has taught us about our food system our public health system our ways of living and working and our desire for connection with nature and each other

bull Continue to lead a conversation around how to organize a new victory garden movement that focuses on turning the love of growing things into a lifelong avocation not a tempo-rary response to a frightening pandemic

bull Continue to collaborate with CPS Cincinnati Parks and more than 40 other individuals and organizations in an all-out effort to get more kids to spend more time outside in nature ndash hopefully turning the time families are spending outside to escape being cooped up into a real commitment to get out in nature more

bull Care for our beautiful grounds that are seeing more visitors (maybe wersquoll nolonger be a best kept secret) than ever and that have the potential to serve as aneven more dynamic outdoor education space for small groups We can overcome fear with imagination and hope Hope not as a wish for things to be different but a deep desire for change rooted in the belief of human potential solidarity and mutual gen-erosity

Sincerely

Karen KahleCGC Executive Director

Itrsquos a tough time Itrsquos an uncertain time There are no easy answers

We are grateful for all of the men and women providing us with medical care all of the people working at some risk to themselves and their families to bring us food and other essential goods and services Our hearts go out to those families whose livelihoods have been destroyed who have lost a loved one who fear more than ever for their childrenrsquos future

For many the pandemic has prompted a kind of reflection In the pause we have the opportunity to reflect on all that this tragic pandemic is revealing about ourselves and our society A pause can lead to a new beginning to a reimagination of how we want to live differently mdash less unhealthily and less unequally mdash in the future

It feels like the end of an era The world that emerges from this cannot resemble the old If this plague that cares not a whit for the class or status of its victims cannot teach solidarity nothing will If this continent-hopping pathogen cannot demonstrate the precar-ious interconnectedness of the planet nothing will Unlike 911 the assault is universal

Our hope is that this novel coronavirus causes our community to unify and turn our shared adversity into social solidarity trust and cooperation We have only to look to past national crises such as World War II and the boost those things gave to social capital

The Civic Garden Center got its start helping people build victory gardens during WWII Wersquove been around a long time and have weathered other national crises The near-term survival of the Civic Garden Center is certainly on our minds But this pandemic really has us thinking a lot about what kind of organization we will need to be next

While no one can say how long the crisis will last what we find on the other side will not look like the normal of recent years for the CGC It can be really difficult to even think about whatrsquos NEXT when the NOW is so uncertain The fact is though wersquore in a crisis that no one could have planned for the people and organizations that come out of this the strongest are those who use this time toprepare

What we are prepared to do

Sue Sturgeon President CGC Board of Directors

EXECUTIVE DIRECTORrsquoSMESSAGEKaren Kahle

GREETINGSFROM THEPRESIDENTSue Sturgeon

Dear Friends of the Civic Garden Center

When we agreed we had to cancel The Plant Sale this year it was like all the air was suddenly let out of my tires All the guidelines and pleas for cooperation to address the corona virus pandemic arewere indeed changing our lives and this was just another consequence of that battle Cancelling TPS which has been such a large part of the life and lifeblood of the Civic Garden Center drives home our responsibility to combat the spread of this insidious pathogen and keep each other safe ndash above all else

In the meantime lest weI dissolve into a major pity party I though it could be restorative to flip through a few photos from past Plant Sales or Plant Herb and Hosta Sales as they were named for so many years Irsquom hoping this trip down memory lane will restore spirits a bit and remind us of how much fun it can be to shop for plants with hundreds of like-minded folks The Sale has happened sometimes despite snow wind rain and shiver-ing temperatures for almost 60 years now And it will be backhellipthis year it may be a shortened version hellipbut next year just wait

We hope to see all of you in person soon

Civic Garden Center ndash Spring 20192

Housed in an office building in downtown Cincinnati from 1942-1951 the Civic Garden Center moved to its current home in Avondale in 1951 when Cornelius J Hauck generously donated land from his beautiful ldquoSooty Acresrdquo property In keeping with the spirit of Mr Hauckrsquos

generosity the Hauck Society recognizes the major financial contributions of $1000+ to the Civic Garden Center with year-long membership in the Hauck Society All Hauck Society members receive an invitation or two to the annual Hauck Society celebration in late fall

MAGNOLIA LEVEL $10000+Duke Energy Foundation Graham Edwin amp Sharon Janosik Mitchell FoundationLaMacchia Family Foundation Lucile amp Richard Durrell Special Fund II Margie amp Lou Rauh Richard L amp Bette Jo Bere FundWestern amp Southern Financial fund

BEECH LEVEL $5000 - $9000Anonymous Fund of The Greater Cincinnati Foundation Alan B Lindner Family Fund Bruce Berno Dann Hotelling Donna amp Tom Anderle Indian Hill Garden Club

James Allen

Jill amp Larry McGruderJudy MitchellLinda Maier Terry Lemmerman William S Rowe Foundation

POPLAR LEVEL $2500 - $4999Anonymous Betsy Townsend Bruce S amp Caroline c Taylor Fund Diane amp Marc Mularoni Dorothy B Francis Charitable Foundation Ellen amp Clark Sole Greater Cincinnati Master Gardener Association Green Umbrella Jane amp Ron Koppenhoefer Lucile and Richard Durrell Special Fund

Ill of the Greater Cincinnati Foundation Motch Family Foundation Nellie Leaman Taft Foundation Procter amp Gamble Fund Priscilla Garrison Haffner Rhinegeist Brewery Ridgeway Foundation Smale Civic Garden Center Fund William Taylor in honor of Delle Ernst Taylor Woodward Family Charitable Foundation

ELM LEVEL $1500 - $2499Berea College Cincinnati Renewable Fuels LLC Cincinnati Town amp Country Garden Club Cortney Scheeser amp Family Daisy Kattan Garden Club of Cincinnati

HAUCK SOCIETY

PREMIER LEVEL $20000+ The Sutphin FamilyFoundation

Crosset Family Fund

Sue Sturgeon

ANONYMOUS FUND OF GREATER CINCINNATI

John A Schroth Family Charitable Trust

Charlotte R Schmidlapp Fund

Henry G Henry F amp Louise Tuechter

Jacob G Schmidlapp Trusts

Jackie amp Ray Sweeney Fund


Judy Mitchell


Jack amp Joyce Steinman Jane KoppenhoeferMarjorie Rauh Garden Intern Endowment Monica Battle Northern Kentucky University Patricia amp Don Hinkley Phillip amp Whitney Long Susan amp Derek van Amerongen

OAK LEVEL $1000 - $1499Carol amp Bert Huether Carolyn amp Michael Hoyt CGC Dirt Crew Christine amp Wayne Lippert David amp Ginger Warner Dianne amp David Rosenberg Dick amp Sandy Manteuffel Eileen Barrett Elizabeth Stone Greater Cincinnati Foundation Helen amp Brian Heekin Interact for Health Jane Garvey amp John Lanier Jill amp Chris Bader Judi Graves Judy Williams Katherine Lawrence Kathryn Shahani Kevin OrsquoDell Kymberly Kuenning Limestone Fund of Greater Cincinnati Foundation Lewis amp Marjorie Daniels Foundation Mary Elizabeth Warner Huguenin Manteuffel Family FoundationMarcy Gruen Margaret amp Michael Valentine Mary Bishop Michelle amp Charles Dragga Pam Reilly Phyllis amp Bill Augspurger Phyllis Crawford Raye Allen `Richard V amp Carol A Wilson FundRuss TaylorSuki Skidmore amp Tim KaneTom amp Dee Stegman Tom amp Halle Ouinn Tom DonnellyWillow Hill Foundation

$300 - $999AnonymousAnne Warrington WilsonBarbara BloomstromChemed FoundationDave amp Kathy DoelDiane MularoniDorothy BrownErin HoulihanEva amp Richard KomoroskiFederated Garden Club of CincinnatiGary amp Nancy Strassel

Ishi BuffamJoan Bryan amp Kelsey SheldonJohn F Barrett FoundationJohn PanykoKaren SillsKatherine NeffKathryn ShahaniLaura StudawayMarathon Petroleum CompanyRebecca Seeman amp David WoodRobert BoothSeedMoney

$150 - $299Alice PalmerAmira BeerBeau TukeBetty amp Don HorakBob amp Beth StaggenborgCarol EdwardsDavid amp Mary AdamsDebbie amp Richard WestheimerElizabeth OttFran Christensen Fund of the Greater Cincinnati FoundationJack amp Diane DouglassJanet HeidenJoanne EasleyJohn MitchellKaren HibbertKathleen J Laurin amp Dr Joseph C Martin MDKnight Design Solutions LLCLinda FelcynMarjore Davis Charitable FundMary Elizabeth HueyMary Jo VesperMelinda amp Irwin SimonMichelman IncPatricia SchoettkerRebecca Seeman amp David WoodRita LaprestoRobert amp Kelly LeBourveauRobert amp Sydney AnningSherwood Forest Garden ClubSusan McCameyTerry HoustonTherese MoserTucker Coombe

$75 - $149Alexandra ElliottAmy GriffinBarbara HendricksBennett KottlerChristina S KohnenChristine TritschlerCincinnati Town amp Country Garden ClubCindy SchraderDavid Gamstetter

D O N A T I O N S R E C E I V E D M A R C H 2 5 - J U L Y 1 2 0 1 9


D O N A T I O N S R E C E I V E D M A R C H - J U L Y 1 2 0 1 9

David GruberDebbie ClarkDeacuteDeacute GreenbergDr Mark Onady DDSDr Robert IngbergDorothy Day Center for Faith amp JusticeDulany amp Rob AnningEdward MitchellEdward amp Nancy RosenthalEleanor Macneale ElkintonElizabeth JacksonEthel DavidsonGay JohnsonGeorgia CrowellGeraldine SimmonsGraydon amp Laurie GorbyGreen Grubbers Garden ClubHosta Society of Greater CincinnatiJane amp Mark BurkeJanet BanksJanet RossJean DonaldsonJeffrey KapelaJulie HoltKaren LarsenKathleen CarrKathleen KraemerKevan amp Judy LangnerKevin Leahy amp Joyce Steiner Kroger Community RewardsLinda DooleyLouise HeadMardie OffMargaret PossertMarilyn WehriMark amp Kim BessermanMark MoreMartha LangeMartha SeamanMary HeiderMary QuinnMerrie amp John StillpassMonfort Heights Garden ClubMurray amp Robin SinclaireNancy ElderNeil amp Mary GamstetterPatrick EdmundsPearl JordanPeggy CondiaPrudy CremeansRandall amp Marianne OlsonRaymond BracyRhoda BrooksRichard L BetagoleRichard P amp Janet S NeidhardRobert JohnstonSerena StephensonSharon RoseStephanie SepateStephen amp Helen RindsbergSue BrungsSusan Allen

Susan MurrayTeresa HartenTiffany HarperVera Dennis amp Christine KilgoreWestern Wildlife Corridor IncYankee Doodle DeliMarilyn BakerYvonne Dishon

ADDITIONAL GIFTSAlexander amp Lura TeassAlyce Bailey-ThomasAmy StrossAnne Ingalls LawrenceBarbara FeldmannBarbara HarperBeth CanarieBeth MizelleBeverly ThomasBonnie RettigBill amp Ellen PolakBill amp Julie LonnemanBrian BrimelowCarolyn EagenCary BrodieClara BergerColeen MadewellElsie amp Jaun LackeyFreeman Durham amp Dean ClevengerGlenda NeffHelen BuswinkaJan BoylanJean DurbinJennifer DeanJennifer Geiger amp John BarrettJerry BellasJim amp Patti RulliJoan BurrowJoseph WilmersKathleen RobbKelly GillenKenneth MundyKen RayKevin Leahy amp Joyce SteinerLouise Gomer BangelM Drue LehmannMarie KocoshisMarjorie IsaacsMark amp Sue CohenMary Ann StaceyMary E BeckmanMary J WittrockMaryLou ReynoldsMary SteeleMichael WrightPat amp Pam DollardPatricia DoylePaula RitterPeg amp Joe ConwayShirley StephensStacey Kutish


Steven InglishSue RolfesSusan IngmireSuzy SpenceSuzanne CarneySydney BarnesSylvia RothTodd amp Ann BaileyTom KirkYolanda Hill

GARDEN CLUBSEast Row Garden ClubOhio Association of Garden Clubs Region 4Liberty Garden ClubLillies of the Valley Garden ClubBonsai Society of Greater CincinnatiTrowel And Error Garden ClubClifton Village Garden ClubClovernook Garden ClubFinneytown Garden ClubForest Park GardenersFour Seasons Garden Club of FairfieldGarden Club of CliftonGarden Club of Ft ThomasGarden Club of MariemontGlendale Centennial Garden ClubGreater Cincinnati Orchid SocietyGreater Cincinnati Wild OnesHappy Gardeners Garden ClubHerb Society of Greater CincinnatiJunior League Garden ClubJunior League GardenersLes Jardinieres Garden ClubMason Homestead Garden ClubMiami Hills Garden ClubMonfort Heights Garden ClubMt Healthy Garden ClubOakley Garden ClubOld Fashioned Garden ClubPhloxy Ladies Garden ClubPleasant Ridge Garden ClubDes Fleurs Garden ClubPrice Hill Garden ClubSouthwestern Ohio Daffodil SocietyWestern Hills Garden ClubMidwest Native Plant Society

IN-KIND GIFTSAmira Beer amp Mark McKillupBonnie DavisBotanical InterestEden Urban GardensJim WahlJohn Scheepers Kitchen Garden SeedsJudi GravesKendrick amp OrsquoDellNatorprsquos NurseryPeaceful ValleyRenee BernardSelect Seeds

Southwestern Ohio Daffodil SocietySylvia OsterdayTurtle Tree Seed ShopWhite Harvest Seed Co

MEMORIALJeannette Hagerman for Marberta Heery Memorial Tree Fund

HONORARIUMSTerrace Park Garden Club in honor of Kevin OrsquoDell



2020 Plant Sale It Will Be Back We are sad to have to cancel our annual Plant Sale for the first time in the eventrsquos 59-year history This be-

loved rite of spring (and our major fundraising event of the year) will be missed by many But stay tuned for more information about 1) a virtual Happy Planet Happy Hour that wersquore scrambling to pull together

and 2) some kind of donated plants sale just as soon as possible Wersquore accepting donated beginning May 1st Enjoy these snippets from the past


In Isolation Still Together

For decades the Civic Garden Center has been THE place to go to learn about gardening horticulture and urban sustainability In the face of Covid-19 we are continuing to fill that educational void through videos resource lists and relevant articles posted on our website and on social media Check out some of our videos below more are on

their way

Our mission is building community through gardening education and environmental stewardship Now more than ever maintaining a strong community is vitally important In isolation we must find ways to grow together

BETTER GARDENING PRACTICES

Additional Home Gardening ResourcesCommunity Gardens

Seed Starting with Common Household ItemsSoil Testing

HANDS ON HORTICULTURE

Social Distancing While Visting Our GroundsSpring Ephemerals Native to Ohio ndash Bloodroot

Spring Ephemerals Native to Ohio ndash Harbinger of Spring amp Spring BeautySpring Ephemerals Native to Ohio - Trout Lilly

Whatrsquos in Bloom Today - Magnolias

HAPPY NATIVE PLANT MONTHHappy Native Plant Month

Native Plants Are Simply Better

GO GREEN

Cincinnatirsquos Water Problems Combined Sewer OverflowsHistory of the Green Learning Station

PSA If You Love Your Loo Only Flush Paper Pee or PooThe Importance of Bees

YOUTH CORNER

Story Time ldquoAnd Then Itrsquos Springrdquo amp A Seed Starting Activity Gardening at Home ResourcesStory Time ldquoThe Curious Gardenrdquo amp A Garden CAmera Activity

CGC HISTORY

Founding of the CGC

Stay up to date on upcoming content by following us on Facebook and Insagram or check out our ldquoOnline Learningrdquo tab on our website httpswwwcivicgardencenterorgonline-education


By Kylie Johnson Green Learning Station CoordinatorWhen I moved to Cincinnati eight years ago I was exploring the city one day and found myself driving down Reading Road for the first time As I sat at the stop light on the corner of Reading Road and Oak Street I was fascinated by the building I saw sitting on the corner It was unlike any building I had ever seen with its brightly colored signage beautiful landscaping and interesting multi-colored parking lot I had enough time at the stop light to read the sign on the corner ldquoCivic Garden Center Green Learning Stationrdquo Little did I know that I had stumbled upon Cincinnatirsquos ldquohidden gemrdquo

When I arrived home that day I found the Civic Garden Center (CGC) online and was fascinated to learn about all of their programs At the time I was working for the national nonprofit Alliance for Climate Education I was tasked with educating students about climate change and inspiring them to take action in their communities I was pleasantly surprised to learn that CGC was the most affordable place in town to rent space for my student leadership trainings I never wouldrsquove imagined back then that the CGC and Green Learning Station (GLS) would eventually play an integral role in my career and life

Fast forward to today I have had the privilege of managing the Green Learning Station and its programs for nearly six years However the buildingrsquos history dates back much further Most people donrsquot realize that the GLS used to be an old SOHIO gas station The CGC purchased the building in the 1980s to use for storage and extra prime parking space Thanks to the great vision of a past CGC Executive Director and Board member Margie Rauh the space was eventually transformed from an eyesore into a 21 st century environmental STEM education center for all ages After years of planning fundraising and hard work by CGC staff and volunteers the GLS was dedicated in 2011 as a unique space for people to learn how to live more sustainably at home at work and in their neighborhoods

As an official Metropolitan Sewer District Green Demonstration Project Site the GLS showcases numerous examples of green infrastructure to manage stormwater including pervious pavements green roofs rain gardens a rain tank and a bioswale These features make GLS the perfect hands-on learning laboratory to provide a range of cutting edge classes workshops tours and field trips for adults students and professionals

It has been a privilege to lead the evolution of the GLS over the past six years as we are continuously upgrading to remain on the cutting edge of sustainable technology and environmental education Some milestone accomplishments over that time include

bull 2014 ndash Creation of a one-on-a-kind urban water cycle modelbull 2015 ndash Installation of an interactive digital displaybull 2015 ndash Refinished floor and eco-friendly soundproofingbull 2016 ndash Installation of an observation honeybee hivebull 2016 ndash Creation of Green Girls in STEM program for career and environmental explorationbull 2017 ndash Achieving LEED Platinum Certification leading to recognition as one of the top ten greenest building in the citybull 2017 ndash Host of the National Green Infrastructure Certification Program (NGICP)bull 2018 ndash Becoming home of SonLight Power Solar School and installation of 30 solar panelsbull 2018 ndash First building in Cincinnati to install a rainwater catchment system for indoor usebull 2020 ndash Upgrades and maintenance of GLS pervious pavements

For 78 years the CGC has served as a staple in the Cincinnati region for building community through gardening education and environmental stewardship Our success can be attributed to our ability to adapt and change with trends over the de-cades The GLS is one example of our ability to evolve and stay relevant in our fast paced world Next year will mark the 10th anniversary of the Green Learning Station dedication Reviewing the advancements wersquove made over the past decade leaves me excited to see what is in store for the next ten years Although our entire world is facing unprecedented challenges and uncertainty as I write I feel optimistic about CGCrsquos future given our transformational history For 78 years wersquove weathered storms of war and recession Wersquove survived hardship while helping our community thrive by growing food and connecting to nature That is a testament to our resiliency and we will continue to do what we do best through our current crisis build community and create connection

From Gas to Green From Gas to Green The Evolution of the Green Learning The Evolution of the Green Learning

StationStation



We were there

In 1942 a group of dedicated leaders formed around the idea of Victory Gardens and created the Civic Garden Center The CGC led and continues to lead people in the desire to create a better world through self-reliance and sustainability In 1980 the Civic Garden Center formed around the idea of community gardens and created the Neighborhood Gardens Program From working with 1 garden 40 years ago in Over The Rhine to working with 70 community gardens around the Greater Cincinnati area now the CGC has led individuals and communities in

discovering the right iteration of a community garden for their neighbors and themselves

WE ARE HERE NOW RIGHT NOW

We understand how uncertain and challenging the times ahead are going to feel Let us help you There is no better way to feel a sense of empowerment than to grow your own food or to help rebuild our natural world or

to show our children a bright future Over the coming weeks and months the Community Gardens Program will walk you step by step through getting food growing in any way you can anywhere you can ldquoGardening Any-

where and Everywhererdquo is a motto here and we walk the talk

We have a few more mottos as well

ldquoChange Moves at the Speed of Trustrdquo I know you like me are missing connections with the people in your lives We are made more keenly aware of the importance of those connections now in a way unlike anything we have ever experienced The highest form of human connection is trust What does trust look like For us here at the CGC we believe trust looks like always being here when you need us Like now We can help We will help We

can build trust with each other to get through this Change can start right now

ldquoPeople Commit to What They Co-createrdquo Connect with us and help us figure out what exactly it is that we can provide Just like building a sustainable community garden any successful effort has to include everyonersquos voice

Let us hear yours We are moving forward right now because people need us right now but we are more than willing to let you help us steer

ldquoPriority Follows Passionrdquo Society is getting a unique opportunity to discover at a very fundamental level what is important to us Our passions will become clearer than ever If your passion is to feel more empowered in a situa-tion where you feel powerless we have the solution Grow Food Grow together even while we need to stay apart

ldquoHarvest All Doubtrdquo As in all efforts you wonrsquot get it all right from the beginning Heck we wonrsquot get it all right as we expand our ways to help But if we join together and give each other enough trust we can take those doubt-ing voices in the back of our brain and bring them into the light where as a community we can modify overcome

and move forward

This is the time for all of us to come together even as we are physically apart and shine Shine in a way that is necessary for a new day Shine like the sun

Gardening Anywhere amp Everywhere Victory Gardens Are Back

By Greg Potter Community Gardens Coordinator



By Ellie Falk Youth Education Coordinator

Connecting with NatureKids Are Meant To Be in The Garden

At the Civic Garden Center (CGC) we often speak of creating resilient communities When looking at the lon-gevity of our organization one canrsquot help but think we have created resilient programs I think one reason for this is that we speak to and emphasize the essential human need to connect with nature CGCrsquos Youth Education Program is no exception For children nurturing this part of human nature creates a lasting impact on their life turning them into happier healthier and more responsible particularly environmentally responsible citizens in the world In a time of great concern for our planet this benefits everyone Knowing these evidence based bene-fits the Youth Education Program serves children across the region delivering necessary educational experiences for the next generation of environmental stewards

From the Civic Garden Centerrsquos first years in the 1940rsquos up to the present Youth Education programs have always been a foundational aspect of the organization Starting with classes for children and a Childrenrsquos Club that fo-cused on urban ecology the program began with community accessibility and relevance in mind and has operat-ed with that core focus ever since Through the expansion of the Neighborhood Gardens program into schools in the 1980rsquos rolling out hands on gardening lessons in classrooms with GrowLabs in the late 1990rsquos the beginning of the compost education program in 2000 in partnership with Hamilton County Environmental Services and the strengthening of the School Garden Program over the last ten years the Civic Garden Center has led in garden based education for our regionrsquos children for decades

In 2020 the Youth Education Program encompasses the Compost Kids field trip Summer Sprouts Garden Camp Scout programs and the robust School Garden Program Through these offerings the Youth Education Coordi-nator trained volunteers and summer interns are able to have over 5000 contacts with youth each year The demand for our work keeps growing Between 2018 and 2019 we expanded Summer Sprouts into a third location started to offer Compost Kids field trips not only during the school year but also through the summer for day camps and daycare centers and are teaching weekly garden based lessons in 3 schools in addition to seasonal visits to several other schools in the region Our oldest childrenrsquos garden the Pendleton Childrenrsquos Garden after transitions in the neighborhood is also once again a Summer Sprouts location and small space for community members to garden

Today as the world is responding to the novel coronavirus with school closures and citizens in so many countries being asked to stay home people are looking for resources to cope with these unprecedented circumstances In 1944 amidst the upheaval of WWII the Cincinnati Enquirer called the Civic Garden Center a ldquocivic asset of impor-tancerdquo while the organization worked on Victory Gardens In our current uncertain times our programs are once again responding to the needs of our community by teaching skills for self sufficiency and providing inspiration for one of the most therapeutic things we can do right now- spending time in nature

The Youth Education Program is uniquely prepared to meet this need and will provide online garden themed storytimes and activities to keep children learning at home and in the natural spaces close to where they live During this time of physical isolation it is still our mission to build community and through new ways we con-tinue to do so



By Sam Settlemyre Volunteer Coordinator

The Civic Garden Center Starts amp Ends With Its Volunteers

In honor of the 50th anniversary of Earth Day our staff here at the Civic Garden Center (CGC) decided to look into the history of our different programs to see how they have evolved overtime I have only worked as the Volunteer Coordinator since October of 2019 along with one summer as an intern so there is A LOT I am still learning about this place However one thing I have learned in my short time is that without volunteers the CGC simply wouldnrsquot exist

Since its inception in 1942 the CGC has been shaped by its volunteers In the early years volunteers helped to raise money through fundraisers and grassroots efforts to help the CGC raise enough money to keep its doors open At the time money and resources were tight because the country was amidst a World War Despite the challenges volunteers were successful in spearheading the CGCrsquos first ever ldquoTreasure Martrdquo which lives on today in the form of our ldquoChristmas Open Houserdquo The event included everything from household items collected by volunteers to art donated by local artists Volunteers also sold homegrown fruits and vegetables straight from their personal gardens

As the CGC expanded evolving to focus more on education volunteers began sharing their knowledge in the form of classes garden tours and youth programs Since the early years of the CGCrsquos existence educating youth has always been part of its mission This effort was reignited by the events of the first ever Earth Day in 1970 leading the CGC to take on new initiatives such as the Junior Conservation Corps Project Grow and Mini-Gardens You wonrsquot be surprised to hear that many of these new efforts were once again championed and staffed by our dedicated volunteers

Fast forward to today the Civic Garden Center maintains a network of nearly 500 active volunteers plus many more one-time volunteers working throughout the Greater Cincinnati region In 2019 alone volunteers totaled more than 6000 volunteer hours working on our grounds and staffing the front desk maintaining 70+ community and school gardens restoring more than 10 acres of public woodlands working special events such as our Plant Sale and facil-itating over 30 field trips with CPS students ranging from elementary to high schoolers

The CGC prides itself on being an organization that is rooted in the communities it serves Our staff spends as much of its time working offsite in different neighborhoods as it does back on our grounds and our volunteers are no different Our volunteers go above and beyond in living out our mission of building community through gardening education and environmental stewardship No matter the task at hand I have always found our volunteers eager to get their hands dirty and hungry to learn more or get more involved

Thanks to the unseasonably warm winter we were able to get outside volunteering as early as February this year and let me tell you volunteers were SO excited to be getting out and were already pestering me about what was next As the Coronavirus pandemic took hold of things in March it broke my heart to have to cancel all of the vol-unteer events we had scheduled for the upcoming spring but the year is far from over As we begin to figure out how we can get things up and running again in the coming months keep your eyes peeled for socially distanced volunteer opportunities as I know we are all eager to get back outside and get our hands dirty once again

To all CGC volunteers past and present THANK YOU



By Greg Torres CGC Horticulturalist

Horticulture The Legacy of Hauck Botanic Gardens

I work the grounds of the Hauck botanic garden with a sense of awe and reverence I know that there is something special here Cornelius Hauck was a prescient man and could see the trends of urbanization pollution environmental degradation and also the beauty help and hope that plants offer as solutions to the blights of civilization His mission in transforming a city block into a forested garden for the benefit of the whole communtiy has continued here on the grounds and his legacy remains intact

I am only the latest of numerous horticulturalist who have plied these soils It is clear that the Hauck gardens have been trended to by many who have poured their love and care into the success of Haucks vision I speak often of how working with plants is a transcendental expe-rience going beyond our own lives and affecting later generations or other species Cornelius Hauck and his work with plants has proven this true There is no better individual to speak on this topic than Hauck himself see some of his writings wersquove discovered below

Greenery

The growing lack of greenery amid the ugliness of cities and countryside brings the realization that if we can not soon arrest it future generations will expect nothing better There must be more greenery in this self-created environment

It is but logical that we must become more greenery-minded with the guiding star of persistent and continuous thought of restoring and amplifying the priceless living and growing gifts of nature We have so carelessly put together

concrete and steel that we almost cut ourselves off from nature

The impetus that these areas of beauty have added to the values of the property of home and apartment construction are well known and incalculable These values represent not only tangible financial estimates but human values as

well

One facet of this greenery trees is the largest longest-lasting and easiest to maintain form available to us Without them we could not exist They add so much by way of shade beauty and color to the wants of our very existence

Why not plant more of them

We cannot live on bread alone Through the ages long before the Hanging Gardens of Babylon through the shrubbery and flowers of the Bible trees and flowers have always been the symbol of beautification and beatification

In the cancerous depletion of our beautiful green areas we are continually destroying one of the best therapies for illness of our present civilization The ldquoclover-leafrdquo is fast becoming our national flower and the ldquogordquo traffic-light is

the only green seen now in most of our cities Cities to be competitive to-day must be more than industries highways sewers ecthellip They must be beautiful More trees and flowers are needed to make them a better place to live and work

in - or the people will move out to more beautiful surroundings

Even this may provide but temporary relief until the same virus of erosion and bulldozing ldquoimprovementrdquo envelops them unless planned retention of the original beauties of foliage has been provided for Then especially will the city

have the opportunity of regaining the people who have moved to the country that is not the country any more

So let us think clearly and actively of this ideal of ldquomore greenery for better livingrdquo and mutually seek recognition from all organizations and city administrators to foster these God-given blessings of nature We must constantly and

vigorously strive for these frontiers of beauty for the generations that follow Let us do it now before it is too late

We can have something which generates ideals and which sets up the real values of the physical and spiritual assets of our cities

Two centuries ago Voltaire said that ldquoHe who makes two blades of grass grow in the place of one renders one of the greatest services to the nationrdquo

-Cornelius J Hauck



H O R T I C U L T U R A L H E L P L I N E

httpsextensionosueduask-an-expertask-master-gardener

Interested in becoming a

Master Gardener Contact Julie Crook at

crook46cfaesosuedu or at513 946-8998 for information

Soil Testing The Hamilton County Soil amp Water Conservation District (SWCD) offers soil fertility testing through Michigan State University The test results provide a soil amendment recipe to ensure that you get the most out of your plant investment

Hamilton County Soil amp Water Conservation District Kemper Pond Office Park 1325 East Kemper Road Suite 115 Cincinnati OH 45246 513 772-SOIL (7645) Office Hours Monday - Friday 8am -

Learn From Home Check Out Our New

Online Learning Page

STAFF

Karen Kahle x30 Executive Directorkkahlecivicgardencenterorg

Terry Houston x18Executive Assistantthoustoncivicgardencenterorg

Ellie Falk x35Youth Education Coordinatoryoutheducationcivicgardencenterorg

Kylie Johnson x16Green Learning Station Coordinatorkjohnsoncivicgardencenterorg

Greg Potter x11Community Gardens Coordinatorgpottercivicgardencenterorg

Greg Torres x26Horticulturistgtorrescivicgardencenterorg

Sam Settlemyre x17Volunteer Coordinatorvolunteercivicgardencenterorg

Johnny BissellFacilities Technician

BOARD OF DIRECTORS Thanks to these folks for overseeing the CGC operations and for the direction they provide

Greg AllenJames AllenPatrick EdmundsLarry McGruderKati NeffJeff WebelerSusy SpenceNancy StrasselLaura StudawaySusan SturgeonDann HotellingStephanie Maher

LOBBY HOURS - CLOSED TO THE PUBLIC UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE

Admission to the facility and Hoffman Library is free

513 221-0981 (p)513 221-0961 (f)wwwcivicgardencenterorg

TABLE OF CONTENTS

From I-71 South

bull Take William Howard Taft Exit 3 bull Turn right on Reading Road at the White Castle bull Turn left on Oak Street and then an immediate left into the parking lot

From I-71 North

bull Take Reading Road Exit 2 bull Turn left on Oak Street and then an immediate left into the parking lot

DIRECTIONS

Civic Garden Center 2715 Reading Road Cincinnati OH 45206

1

2

3

6

7

8

10

12

14

16

Executive Directorrsquos Messageamp Greetings From The President

Hauck Society

Donations

The Plant Sale

Online Education

Green Learning Station

Community Gardens

Youth Education

Volunteering

Horticulture

The Civic Garden Centerrsquos Quarterly NewsletterKaren Kahle PublisherSam Settlemyre Designer

SpringSpring







Sincerely






















James Allen





HAUCK SOCIETY


Crosset Family Fund

Sue Sturgeon








Judy Mitchell





























their way











GO GREEN



YOUTH CORNER


CGC HISTORY

Founding of the CGC











StationStation



We were there














and move forward






























Greenery





well













-Cornelius J Hauck


















Sincerely






















James Allen





HAUCK SOCIETY


Crosset Family Fund

Sue Sturgeon








Judy Mitchell





























their way











GO GREEN



YOUTH CORNER


CGC HISTORY

Founding of the CGC











StationStation



We were there














and move forward






























Greenery





well













-Cornelius J Hauck

















James Allen





HAUCK SOCIETY


Crosset Family Fund

Sue Sturgeon








Judy Mitchell





























their way











GO GREEN



YOUTH CORNER


CGC HISTORY

Founding of the CGC











StationStation



We were there














and move forward






























Greenery





well













-Cornelius J Hauck








































their way











GO GREEN



YOUTH CORNER


CGC HISTORY

Founding of the CGC











StationStation



We were there














and move forward






























Greenery





well













-Cornelius J Hauck





















StationStation



We were there














and move forward






























Greenery





well













-Cornelius J Hauck














We were there














and move forward






























Greenery





well













-Cornelius J Hauck






































Greenery





well













-Cornelius J Hauck












Spring - Civic Garden Center of Greater Cincinnati€¦ · Rhinegeist Brewery Ridgeway Foundation...

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Transcript of Spring - Civic Garden Center of Greater Cincinnati€¦ · Rhinegeist Brewery Ridgeway Foundation...