The Civic Garden Center (CGC) is an environmental non-profit whose mission is building community through gardening, education, and environmental stewardship. Founded in 1942 during the Victory Gardens movement, we are the only organization of our kind in the Greater Cincinnati region. Our main office sits in the heart of urban Cincinnati, on the former estate of philanthropist and public garden advocate Cornelius J. Hauck. 

The CGC’s calendar of public events includes classes, workshops, volunteer opportunities, and two community festivals.  Our largest fundraising event, GrowFest, is held annually on the first weekend in May and features hundreds of unique herbs and vegetables for sale, as well as guest speakers, musicians, activities, and food. Native Plant Fest is held in September and showcases locally grown native plants from multiple independent nurseries and growers. We rely on the support of hundreds of dedicated volunteers to make these sales a success.

Our two-acre property is densely packed with free public gardens, a propagation hoop house, the LEED platinum certified Green Learning Station, and an outdoor compost classroom. Our main building and grounds are available for event and meeting rental.

But the CGC’s impact on Cincinnati’s gardening community extends far outside our grounds.  Outreach efforts include the Community Gardens, Youth Education, Green Teens, and Treeforestation programs. We offer these programs at no cost to participants, thanks to the generosity of our donors, private and government grants and corporate sponsorships. We also strive to keep all adult education programs low or no cost so that they are accessible to as many people as possible.

In addition to our community festivals, we offer many opportunities to volunteer both on- and off-site: maintaining our grounds, tending community gardens, restoring urban forests, and helping run our administrative offices. Volunteers may attend many of our classes at a reduced cost and will leave every workday experience with new knowledge and connections. Our mission stands behind everything we do as the tri-state’s go-to resource for all things gardening, sustainability, and horticulture.