Gardening, Nature, & Conservation

Rain Barrel Make It & Take It Workshop

Harvesting rainwater is a simple and effective way to improve water quality, reduce runoff and flooding, and collect a free source of water for your garden. In this outdoor workshop, participants will explore the benefits of rain barrels and be guided step-by-step in creating their own to take home. All supplies and materials are included.

Class Note: Please bring a vehicle large enough to transport a 55-gallon rain barrel home.

Community Instructors: Lauren Rush & Members from Toledo-Lucas County Rain Garden Initiative

Deer Resistant Gardening with Native Plants

Losing your garden to deer can be exceptionally frustrating, but there are many native plants that are not only deer-resistant, but also beneficial to other native wildlife. Learn about the white-tailed deer and a great palette of native plants that they tend to avoid. An activity will be included on how to design a native plant garden that is deer resistant and beneficial to birds and pollinators.

Drawing on his years of experience creating landscapes that are both beautiful and ecologically beneficial, Bennett will share practical tips for selecting and combining plants that thrive in Ohio gardens.

577 Staff Instructor: Bennett O. Dowling

Fortify Your Immune System with Herbs

Learn how to build a proactive “botanical shield” to help you navigate the seasonal bugs of the coming cold and flu season. Participants will learn the science of how plants help your white blood cells do their best work as we make our own elderberry syrup and garlic-infused honey.

Everyone will take home their own practical toolkit including their class-made herbal supplements, recipes, and tips for daily habits designed to keep participants standing tall and feeling well, even when everyone else is coming down with the sniffles.

Community Instructor: Lily Kunning

Flower Arranging: A Garden Centerpiece

Create a beautiful seasonal bouquet while learning about the importance of sourcing your flowers locally. As you arrange a medium-sized bouquet in a glass jar, you’ll learn the basics of floral design and take home an arrangement to enjoy.

Local flower farmer and floral designer Becca will discuss the benefits of using flowers grown close to home. As more people think about where their food comes from, she’ll explore why the flowers we bring into our homes should be part of that same conversation. The flowers used in class will come from Becca’s own cut flower farm.

Class Note: Please bring a pair of gardening gloves, if available. Some participants may find them helpful while handling the flowers.

Community Instructor: Becca Mathews

Explore the Medicinal Roots of Cocktails: Bitters

Explore the medicinal roots of cocktail culture in this hands-on workshop and discover why bitter flavors have long been valued for supporting digestion. Participants will make two blends together: one cocktail bitters and one digestive bitters.

Before cocktails were fancy and full of nonsense, they were medicine, and we’ll learn how bitters support digestion, calm the stomach, and bring your belly back online. Everyone will take home their samples, recipes, and the knowledge to keep the bitter magic going in your kitchen or home bar.

Community Instructor: Lily Kunning

Fire Cider: Spicy Roots and Kitchen Resistance

Learn the fascinating story behind the popular herbal concoction called Fire Cider as you craft your own 16-ounce jar of this fiery formula to take home and infuse. Participants will also receive recipes and explore variations, so everyone can keep the tradition alive in their own way.

Fire Cider is more than just a punchy vinegar tonic. It’s part immune support, part digestive aid, and part herbal folk hero. We’ll explore the fascinating story behind this fiery formula and how it became a symbol of preserving herbal traditions while learning best practices for making your own at home, including what to put in it, how to balance the heat, and how to use it when cold season hits.

Community Instructor: Lily Kunning

Make Your Own Harvest Wreath

Celebrate the harvest season by creating a beautiful wreath using seed heads, dried flowers, herbs, and other wild plant cuttings. You’ll be surprised how much beauty can come from the plants growing in our backyards and gardens!

Wreaths will be 100% biodegradable, using twine instead of wreath wire. All supplies are included. Participants will complete one wreath during class. Finished wreaths will be approximately 12 inches in diameter. The class will be led by 577 Organic Garden Horticulturist Samantha Day, using many of the materials harvested from the gardens at 577.

577 Staff Instructor: Samantha Day