Celebrating 18 years of beauty and education, Lakeside Commons Educational Gardens has been a county jewel. Lakeside Commons mission is to serve as an educational garden for hands-on interactive learning for all citizens in Campbell County and neighboring Greater Cincinnati. Plants and growing techniques shown in the garden are based on research by the Horticulture staff and volunteers. The educational gardens represented are: rose garden which features over 110 different varieties, vegetable and herb garden, registered monarch waystation, pollinator garden, cut flower garden, Kentucky prairie, perennial and annual beds, 3 water gardens, and ornamental and fruiting Kentucky trees. These gardens fill the landscape for visitors to relax, enjoy, and digest information to adopt into their landscape practices. With 3 horticulture staff and 15 dedicated volunteers, weekly garden projects are scheduled to install, maintain, and conduct research throughout the gardens. Starting in April until mid-November, 15 passionate and dedicated volunteers and Horticulture staff gather and teamwork every Friday in the morning to accomplish one goal, to continue to maintain and offer an interactive learning garden to users. 

    With the leadership and guidance by the Extension Horticulture staff, volunteers and garden users have shared success with the gardens and how they have inspired them: “Knowledge gained has greatly helped with some garden planning and growing. Also, has helped with attracting monarchs and other butterflies and bees”. “Now teaching my grandchildren how to maintain a vegetable garden”. “Assist neighbors and publicize about the CCES”. In addition, garden users have responded by sharing: “I have realized personal health benefits (i.e. stress relief, eating more fresh fruits and vegetables, weight loss, and more personal satisfaction in life”. “I’ve adopted environmental conservation practices to conserve soil, clean air and water such as organic pesticides”. “I have adopted safer practices relating to the use of equipment and pesticides”. 

    As the gardens continue to grow and demonstrate sustainable practices, the Extension Horticulture staff and volunteers will continue to create a welcoming and healthy garden environment for all to enjoy!

    In addition, over the volunteers from the garden have also volunteered to represent horticulture programming by serving on Extension District Board, Advisory Council, County Extension Council, NKY Master Garden Association members and Association leadership roles.