Civic Garden Center of Greater Cincinnati

John is a very caring Attorney with tremendous concern for his clients. I have known him several years, and he has helped me with a frw legal concerns over the years. He is truly passionate about his job and is one of the only Attorneys I have met who is truly committed to his clients and NOT to simply earning an income. He is a sincere «people person» who also serves his Community. I became aquainted with John many years back when he was working in an «Over The Rhine» project to help the poor and those on drugs, or with mental illness climb out of their situations into a better life. John is truly an Attorney to trust who cares.

We went here on drizzly (turned to steady rain) weekend of the plant sale.
I was AMAZED at the amount of space on this otherwise auspicious corner in Walnut Hills (ish, area). I go by here all the time, but I had no idea the lush oasis that was back there.
The plant sale, with 30% off, was a great deal financially and it was very reassuring to find such an hidden space in the center of Cincinnati.
We got great information from the staff, enjoyed some homebaked goods, and got out of there just in time to avoid the downpour.
I’d love to go back for a class soon. What a great discovery in Cincinnati!

I liked this park. It wasn’t one of my faves though. I went after reading the reviews with a friend and my camera in tow. We pulled into the parking lot, and at first glance it seemed really awesome. We went to the welcome center and the lady at the desk was nice, but it was the end of the day, so we swiped a map and headed on our way.
We snapped a few photos outside the welcome center, and as we walked back towards the entrance of the park, we had to stop and take in the view of the house with the mossy covered roof. Very pretty, and informative literature next to it.
We started down the walkway and there were little «pockets’ of stuff tucked away as you walked around. We walked back to an Asian fountain and took some pics, then headed back out to the main area. In the middle there is a big clearing and a sitting area to ponder life’s oddities and some pretty flowers are there to join you.
Near the back of the park there was a cool little garden and I got to see baby eggplants, and many other cool plants. There was a butterfly garden too, but we made it too late for that.
All in all, my only real complaint is the size of the place. If I had just come to walk around and not shoot any pics, it would have literally been like a 15 minute walk for me at most. I think this is better as a sitting park and not one to get exercise, unless you do a few laps.

It’s so much cooler than I imagined! I just love everything about this place.
The people are so cool. The gardens are amazing and relaxing. They transport you away from the city. It’s like a secret oasis.
They have a ton of great events, a place where they educate people are options for environmental conservation. They have a cool gift shop with plenty of options for everyone on your list.
It’s a great place to take a bag lunch to with that special someone, or just a great book.

The Civic Garden Center should be visited by every student in the Greater Cincinnati Area! Period!
The Garden Center is located on the site of an old gas station on Reading Road just a hop and a skip of the University of Cincinnati and immediately off of Interstate 71. They have green roofs, rain gardens, and bio swales. They showcase pervious concrete, porous asphalt, permeable pavers, and regular concrete that all have sensors in a large detention basin underneath to measure the effectiveness of each. They will even give you a bucket so you can water the different surfaces and see how they are different from each other.
There is a large park adjacent to the garden center that is owned by Cincinnati Parks. I believe the brewer John Hauck originally created the garden next to the newly constructed green learning center at the Civic Garden Center. It is definitely a learning experience for everyone!

Serenity in the city?
It’s hard to come by sometimes, what with all the car honking, jackhammering and loud stereos (man, I sound like an old lady).
Living in the downtown area means that it’s hard to find green space. We have a few nice swaths along the river, and Washington Park will be great when it opens.
But what about a nice, wooded area with blooming flowers and plenty of spaces to sit and think a while?
That’s exactly what the Civic Garden Center offers. On Reading Road, it’s easy to drive to, or you can take any 43 bus from downtown and get off right across the street.
I can walk there from my office, so sometimes I like to walk there with my lunch and take a moment to chill out. It’s quite peaceful, and there are nice landscape sculptures and benches to enjoy.

The Civic Garden Center is a hidden treasure of this city. We rented a space for an event, and found the staff to be professional and the space delightful.
If you aren’t in need of a rental space, just visit the gardens! The gardens are open from dawn to dusk, and are shaded to make for a lovely walking path in the summer months. Bring your dog — as long as you clean up after them, pets are welcome!
Hands down, one of the most beautiful spots in the city, and a great spot to be outside!

Cincinnati is one of those cities that surprises you. On its surface, it’s a boring, homogeneous midwestern hovel, and even people who have lived here for years maintain that it really is just that. But there are hundreds of little spots around town that defy that generalization, and I can’t think of a better example of them than this place.
In a nutshell, it’s a small garden nestled along Reading Road – not a place you’d expect to find a lot of green. It kind of comes at you out of nowhere, actually. It’s not big enough to be a day trip or anything, but it’s beautiful, well-​kept, serene, all the things that most of downtown is not. It’s perfect for some kind of group gathering, like the Unilocal event on July 8^th, where I first saw it. There’s a small walkway that leads into a split-​level brick patio with benches and such. Paths are narrow, but clean, and there’s a surprising variety of vegetation.
Honestly, I can’t tell you the history or anything along those lines. Other reviewers have more of a handle on that. But there is a small building where you can get more information about the place, and they’re opening a Green Learning Center next door, as well. It’s not much, but it is a small pocket of environmentally conscious beauty in an otherwise smoggy, concrete– and brick-​heavy city.

This is a city treasure. Even if you never want to garden yourself, you need to stop by and walk through their gardens. So peaceful and so beautiful. If the grounds inspire you to try your hand at growing something, they offer classes and various groups like the Cincinnati Bonsai Society meet there. They are constantly upgrading their space and will be adding green living classes soon.

I went to the preview party with my roommate (his idea) and we were the youngest there that were attending. This immediately made it akward as we had no idea what to expect from the event.
I found a new hobby. I bought a peace lilly and have been growing it since spring, I even bought my mom one for mothers day. Since my Peace Lilly I have expanded into my Irish roots and I am currently growing a shamrock garden. Im a horticultural dork now.

«There’s no giant park on Reading? Where the hell are you going?» — that was my brain yelling at me as I traveled down to find the Civic Garden, a green space apparently in the middle of the city. But as I got closer, there indeed was a bright green sign proclaiming Civic Garden — and a giant green speace hidden behind it.
As I would later learn, a beer baron from way back when used to live in area. He would buy properties as they came on the market and then tear them down to create this beautiful space for a park. When he died, he left some of it to the city and some to make the Civic Garden, and now they share they area.
This is, and I say it literally, a hidden treasure. You would never know this garden was here and, in fact, have probably driven by it hundreds of times. But going in, it’s amazing. They have acres and acres of land sectioned off to do different things — they have a Japanese-​themed garden and a plant-​filled patio and the first sloped green roof and flowers and vegetables and everything you could want, horticulturally speaking of course.
They do a lot of preservation and education at the garden and it’s a great spot to learn about different plants and animals. They are in the middle of building a green learning station, which should be both educational and recreational. Yeah, I said that.
They teach classes here that you can sign up for (really crazy interesting ones too, like how to raise chickens in your backyard!) and you can even volunteer in the garden. It’s fantastic. Check it out… maybe in the spring, it’s a little cold and covered in snow in the winter.

Located on the Hauck Botanic Garden grounds on Taft & Reading, you can access their parking lot from Oak St. off of Reading.
I first discovered the Civic Garden Center at a free event they had back in October, «Flavors of Neighborhood Gardens» — which is an annual event held here. Community gardeners from around the city brought delicious food from their season’s harvest — fruit smoothies, fresh salsa, cooked greens, pumpkin pie, pickled beet stalks!, to name a few. It was very exciting to see so many people active in local food projects throughout the city and then to come and share their bounty and fabulous recipes! Definitely a great local event if you like to eat food.
I am currently enrolled in the CGC’s Community Garden Development Training, which is a series of classes that teaches you how to plan, organize, and sustain your very own community garden! How wonderful! This training is free and began back in November and will continue until April. Class topics include Civic Engagement, Fundraising, Sustainable Gardening Practices, Basic Organic Vegetable Gardening, as well as a tour of local community gardens and some hands-​on work in the spring. There are LOTS of wonderful classes offered: Mushroom Cultivation, Edible Landscaping, Composting, etc, etc, some of which are free and others which cost $ 10-​$ 25.
In addition to taking classes you can volunteer in the gardens, at events, doing administrative work, or with the youth gardeners program. There is lots to get involved with! For young people too. There are several programs for kids to get in the garden and learn about growing plants and composting. They also have a library with gardening reference books that you can use during their business hours, with borrowing privileges for members.
The Civic Garden Center is a truly wonderful community resource. Whether you are interested in gardening classes, volunteering, or just enjoying a walk in a lovely park. I highly recommend taking advantage of this resource!