Even though our winters have trended warmer over the last several years, we are still basically kept out of our gardens. Other than doing some cleaning in the yard on nice days, we have to wait for spring to start getting our hands dirty again.

Without gardening, we may find ourselves with extra time on our hands. We can use that extra time to work on improving our garden knowledge. We are lucky to live in an area full of horticultural resources: The Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden, The Civic Garden Center of Greater Cincinnati and the Cincinnati Nature Center all offer educational programs in the winter months.

The Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Garden offers a five-week virtual series called “Landscaping for the Homeowner.” This is a series of lectures regarding all aspects of landscaping for the homeowner hosted by one of the region’s top horticulturists and the zoo’s Director of Horticulture, Steve Foltz.

cincinnatizoo.org/events.

The Civic Garden Center of Greater Cincinnati has as many as 15 different programs in the months of January and February. The next program is this Saturday, Jan. 13. It is titled “Coffee & Catalogs: A Seed Catalog Party.” The Civic Garden Center also has virtual classes. The classes titled “Botany Bistro: Paleobotany Parts 1 & 2” take place from noon-12:45 p.m., so you can gain some education during your lunch hour.

civicgardencenter.org/events.  

Now if you are interested in some horticultural learning but still want to get outside, the Cincinnati Nature Center will give you the fresh air you desire. They also have a wide variety of educational opportunities that are outdoors. They have Winter Bird Walks starting this Saturday, Jan. 13, which take place every other Saturday through Feb. 24. They also offer online lessons in birding. Both classes are perfect for those who want to start or enhance their birding hobby.

cincynature.org.

Source: cincinnati.com