Community Gardens Near Me

Type 1 Meetup of Central Ohio

Come and hang with other Type 1’s. Chill, make friends, vent about your endo or insurance, and swap tips about adhesive removal etc. This meetup is a part of WQC’s Community Network Series, and is therefore a safe space for everyone. Bigotry and insults will not be tolerated, and LGBTQIA+ BIPOC folks are affirmed and welcome. Can’t be nice to Trans folks of Color? Don’t come.

Mothing Night with Butterfly Ridge - Granville (Free!)

Moth Night with Butterfly Ridge in Granville Friday, Aug. 28 2026 8:30PM - 11:30PM Maybe you will see a Luna Moth! Or a Rosy Maple Moth with pink feet! Join Chris Kline from Butterfly Ridge for an evening learning about and identifying our nocturnal pollinating friends, the moths!! The program lasts a few hours, but you can leave on your own schedule. Free! Registration not required. Christopher Kline’s interest in butterflies began in 1997 when he began tagging Monarch butterflies in Indiana. Since 1997, he has tagged thousands of Monarchs, co-founded the Central Arizona Butterfly Association, and founded the Southwest Monarch Study. He has also served as the Butterfly Specialist at the Franklin Park Conservatory and Botanical Gardens in Columbus, Ohio. He now is the Director of Butterfly Ridge Butterfly Conservation Center in Rockbridge, Ohio where he and his wife have converted 21 acres of fields and forests into butterfly friendly habitats and have quintupled the butterfly population in the process. He has authored several books including A Field Guide to Tropical Butterflies of American Conservatories, Butterfly Gardening with Native Plants, Butterfly Rider, Moths of Butterfly Ridge, and the Beginner’s Guide to Mothing. 8:30PM - 10:30PM **Location**: Arena Area, Infirmary Mound Park 4351 Lancaster Rd in Granville, Ohio 43023 (Follow Signs in the Park to the Mothing location in the back) Tip: bring a flashlight! https://www.lickingparkdistrict.com/274/August-2026

🌱 Community Spotlight: Simply Living Meetup at City Folks General Store!🌱

✨\*\*Join Simply Living August 15 & 16 at the new City Folks General Store location to Tour, Chat, Learn, and Trade!\*\*✨ Join us Saturday and Sunday from 12:30-3pm as we celebrate a local gem that helps neighbors grow, create, and live more sustainably. City Folks General Store connects urban gardeners, homesteaders, and community members with locally minded products, gardening supplies, helpful resources, and inspiration for simpler living. Discover how this neighborhood shop is cultivating connection, supporting local food systems, and helping city folks grow a little greener. 🌿 **12:30pm — Meet the Owner & Store Tour** Come meet Paisley and get a tour of the new space! See what's new, what's changed, and hear what's coming next for City Folks. **1:30pm — Homestead Swap** Join homestead swappers from Columbus and beyond on the 3rd Saturday of each month! Swapping begins promptly at 1:30. Bring your handmade, homemade, and homegrown goods to trade, foods, household goods, garden plants, baked goods, herbs and veggies, home preserved items, houseplants, or seeds are all welcome! Be ready to answer questions about your methods, practices, and ingredients. It's recommended that you value your items at retail price for trading purposes. This is a great way to try new things and meet new people! If you're not sure what to bring, just come by and check it out, we'll show you the ropes. **2:30pm — Eating Well Without Breaking the Bank** A conversation about how to get healthy, nutrient-rich food onto your table without stretching your budget thin. We'll talk through buying directly from local farms, how City Folks' buying groups (like group buys and Frontier Co-op) can save you money, using Azure Standard for bulk staples, and other practical tips for stocking up smart. Come for one, stay for all three — bring your questions, your curiosity, and something to swap! Read the City Folks Community Spotlight in our newsletter, and get inspired! https://simplyliving.org/living-simply/spotlight-on-city-folks-general-store/?fbclid=IwY2xjawTkmCxwZG9mBGV4dG4DYWVtAjExAHNydGMGYXBwX2lkDzQwOTk2MjYyMzA4NTYwOQABHtpiJjxJkyptsX2ZTYlIjJ7zuvVbP7xlrYDWZG5rFNKrpg32tDrpLxyOdZn5_aem_TFsjGRsGQK2yZZM3S_Hqww #SustainableLiving #ShopLocal #Community #UrbanGardening

🍅 Tomato Tasting Event - vote for your favorites!

Join us for the Tomato Tasting on Friday, August 21, from 1:00 to 2:30 pm at the Harbor Community Center, 5312 Walnut Road, Buckeye Lake, Ohio. 🍅 🍅 This free, public event is part of the “Let’s Talk Gardening” series hosted by Master Gardener Volunteers at the Harbor Community Center. Taste and help judge a dozen different tomato varieties grown in the Licking County Master Gardeners Learning Garden. No registration is required, just stop in and enjoy an afternoon of fresh flavors and gardening conversation. There are 24 varieties growing in the garden this season. The tasting selection will depend on what is ripe that day, but possible varieties include: • Abe Lincoln • Amana Orange • Amish Paste • Best Boy • Black Krim • Bodacious • Cherry Baby • Crimson Cushion Beefsteak • Large Red Cherry • Marglobe • Mountain Merit • Old Fashioned Goliath • Opalka • Oregon Spring • Persimmon • Pink Brandywine • Red Brandywine • Roma • San Marzano • Saucy Lady • Super Sweet 100 Cherry • Zapotec Oaxaca • Better Boy • Lillian’s Yellow There is separate judging for regular tomatoes and cherry tomatoes. Many of these varieties will also be available at the Licking County Master Gardener Annual Plant Sale on May 8, 2027. Some varieties, like the Brandywines, mature later in the season and may not be ready until the end of August. Taste and help judge a dozen different tomato varieties! No registration is required, just stop in and enjoy an afternoon of fresh flavors and gardening conversation. 🍅🍅🍅🍅🍅🍅🍅🍅🍅🍅🍅🍅🍅

Pollinator Week at Hebron’s Farmers Market (Free) Aug 19

Let’s celebrate Pollinator Week at Hebron Farmer’s Market with our local farmers, bakers, makers, food trucks, nonprofits and community resources on Wednesday, August 19th, 4-7pm We look forward to seeing you there! FOOD TRUCKS: Gyro Hero Lulu & Co. Make plans to join us Wednesday evening. We can't wait to see everyone! Wednesday, August 19th | 4-7 PM | Hebron Village Center

Mothing Night at Scioto Gardens with Jim McCormac $15

August 15, 2026: Scioto Gardens Nursery. An evening of mothing, with Jim McCormac and Chelsea Gottfried, authors of Gardening for Moths. Delaware, Ohio. Dusk until whenever. Bring a flashlight. A Night of Moths with Jim McCormac and Chelsea Gottfried (coauthors of “Gardening for Moths”) Back by popular demand! If you missed this event last summer, you’re in for a treat because we’re offering another opportunity to discover the world of moths with acclaimed naturalists, photographers, and authors Jim McCormac and Chelsea Gottfried. We’ll begin with an evening presentation, followed by a nighttime caterpillar crawl to search out what’s here at the nursery and which host plants they’re using. Bring your blacklights if you have them, some of these cats will give off a lovely light show! Saturday, August 15, 2026 from 8:30pm – 12am Cost: $15 per person Get tickets here: https://sciotogardens.com/event/porch-talk-mothing-caterpillar-crawl/ (Free Mothing night on Aug 28 in Granville at Infirmary Mound Park)

Harvest Cooking, Food Preservation @ Fort Ancient UNESCO World Heritage Site

Aug 29 The Harvest Gathering of the Crops Details Staff will guide visitors through an exploration of historic cooking methods and ways of preserving foods. Demonstrations will include: making hominy, stringing beans, and grinding corn into corn meal. Guests may drop in to participate anytime between noon and 4pm in the museum garden. Hosted by Fort Ancient Earthworks & Nature Preserve, Hopewell Ceremonial Earthworks and Ohio History Connection * Saturday, August 29, 2026 at 12:00PM - 4:00PM EDT * Fort Ancient Earthworks & Nature Preserve, Oregonia, OH General Admission for Non-members. (Adults - $7, Children (6-17yr) - $6, Seniors - $6 and children 5 and under are free) Address 6123 State Route 350, Oregonia, OH, USA Contact 513.932.4421 fortancient@ohiohistory.org https://www.ohiohistory.org/visit/browse-historical-sites/fort-ancient-earthworks/ ********* UNESCO World Heritage Site Built around 2,000 years ago by the Ancestors of many modern American Indian tribes, Fort Ancient Earthworks and Nature Preserve is Ohio’s oldest state park and the largest hilltop enclosure in North America. While the name suggests that this site was used as some kind of defensive structure, evidence shows it was actually a gathering place used for ceremonial purposes. Experience an on-site museum and gift shop (members receive a 10% discount), recreated American Indian garden and three miles of hiking trails with scenic overlooks. Dogs are welcome on the grounds, but not inside the museum. Please keep your furry companions leashed and remove messes that they may create on the grounds. Enjoy the earthworks but please do not climb or walk on the walls. We would like to keep these walls standing tall for 2,000 years after you visit them. Foot traffic will cause damage over time.

Trails & Ales! Sharon Woods Metro Park / The Draft Room

**History** [Sharon Woods Metro Park](https://www.metroparks.net/parks-and-trails/sharon-woods/) officially opened in October 1968 to provide open green space for the rapidly expanding population of Westerville and northern Columbus. Located in Sharon Township — the biblical source of its name meaning "a plain" — the park preservation efforts began earlier in February 1962. Planners initially acquired a 139-acre parcel of land to protect it from impending highway developments. Through 23 distinct land transactions with local farmers and developers, the park district successfully amassed the core acreage by August 1965. Today, this meticulously planned 761-acre oasis serves as one of the most frequently visited properties in the Central Ohio Park System. The geographic foundation of the park is heavily rooted in ancient history and glacial till. Thousands of years before modern development, the area was utilized by Paleo-Indian and Archaic peoples who hunted native wildlife using flint-tipped spears. Centuries later, the land transitioned into heavily forested terrain populated by majestic beech, hickory, and oak trees. Early American settlers eventually cleared portions of the land for agricultural use and family farming. Remnants of these historical eras are still preserved across the landscape, safeguarding the natural heritage of Franklin County. The park features the 320-acre Edward S. Thomas State Nature Preserve, named after a pioneering Ohio naturalist. This specific tract of land protects an impressive old-growth forest containing eight distinct species of oak trees. Remarkably, some of these towering oaks are over 250 years old, predating the founding of Columbus itself. The preserve also protects a deep ravine system formed around Spring Creek, which supports diverse tree species like black walnut and Ohio buckeye. This dedicated sanctuary ensures that pristine, old-growth ecosystems remain untouched by urban sprawl. Recreational infrastructure expanded rapidly throughout the 1970s to accommodate booming visitor numbers. In 1972, the park district engineered a massive 100-foot-high sledding hill featuring a 500-foot slope for winter activities. Shortly after, excavations began in 1974 to construct a paved 3.8-mile multipurpose bicycle and walking loop. Upon its completion, the smooth trail was proudly declared the finest and safest recreational bike trail in Central Ohio. Park staff also established family picnic sites and incorporated fishing opportunities at the 11-acre Schrock Lake. Sharon Woods has long served as a crucial testing ground for advanced ecological management. In April 1974, resource managers made history by conducting the park system's very first prescribed burn on a 15-acre field. Decades later, the park faced severe ecosystem degradation due to an overpopulated deer herd that grew from zero in 1968 to 500 by the early 1990s. The resulting six-foot browse line completely decimated native wildflowers and forest undergrowth. Strict conservation and deer management protocols were successfully implemented, allowing the understory and vibrant wildflowers to recover beautifully. **Map of the Park** Here is a [map of the park](https://www.metroparks.net/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/SHW_map_2023_1980px.jpg). **Summary** For this event, we will hike the Edward S Thomas, Oak Openings, Spring Creek, and Lake Trails. The trails are individually not long, but we'll hike them in a couple directions and end up doing around 5 miles. Sharon Woods is generally not too strenuous. Most of the hike will be on graveled nature trails, but some of it will be on grass and potentially in the sun. **Where We'll Meet** When you enter the park, drive all the way back to the rear parking lot by Schrock Lake. You'll see a picnic area and playground here, as well as restrooms and a water fountain. Our hike will start near these restrooms. **After the Hike** After the hike, we'll head over to [The Draft Room](https://www.draftroomcbus.com/). This brewery is located right next to [Pasquale's Pizza](https://www.pasqualespastahouse.com/), [Can’t Believe It's Vegan](https://cantbelieveitsvegan.biz/), and [Jimmy John's](https://locations.jimmyjohns.com/oh/westerville/sandwiches-1514.html). These eateries will [deliver](https://www.draftroomcbus.com/menus) to the brewery, or you can stop and bring something in. The actual address of The Draft Room is [570 W Schrock Rd, Westerville, OH 43081](https://www.google.com/maps/place/570+W+Schrock+Rd,+Westerville,+OH+43081/@40.1115698,-82.9456815,16z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m6!3m5!1s0x8838f52171863dbd:0xbc5b0380f89850c7!8m2!3d40.1115698!4d-82.9456815!16s%2Fg%2F11bw4d67c5?entry=ttu&g_ep=EgoyMDI1MDcyMC4wIKXMDSoASAFQAw%3D%3D), and it's fairly close to Sharon Woods. We should be there by 5 if you can't make the hike and just want to join us for drinks.

Summersgiving Cookout

Imagine a sunlit afternoon where laughter fills the air, tables overflow with delicious dishes, and friends gather to celebrate togetherness. This is the essence of Summersgiving—a festive occasion that blends the warmth of summer with the gratitude of friendship. Let's join together for a giant cookout! (Invite friends - we have lots of room!) Summer Cookout w/ Hamburger Sliders with Smokehouse Onion Cheddar Cheese and Burger Sauce Grilled Veggie Skewers Potato Salad Strawberry Shortcake Complementary Chips Summer Beer/Wine samples Photo Booth & Friendship Cards Easy Summer Music Cocktails at the bar for purchase Extra freshly prepared sides in the deli for purchase **Cost: $15.00 per person (covers 4 wine or beer samples paired with yummy cookout favorites)** Flights and Bites PunchCards can be purchased at the cash wrap near the bar. Take them upstairs to redeem at various food and drink stations. Note: No food substitutions can be made. If you want to join us anyway, buy some food and drink in their deli and bring it up to the gathering space. There's water for those that don't drink. No outside food or drink, please. Where: #MarketDistrict (Grandview Yard) location. The party room (our private space) will be decorated with both patios open! Adjoining upstairs area also open for over flow and minglin

Third Thursday Social: Chocolate Café! 💬💛

Beginner Yoga @ Columbus Park of Roses

Join us Saturday August 15th at 10am for a gentle, beginner-friendly yoga flow at the Columbus Park of Roses with Victoria Lawler, one of our very own vegan community members and certified yoga teacher! Whether you’re brand new to yoga or a long time practitioner, this class is designed to help you slow down, stretch, breathe, and reconnect with yourself. Expect a relaxed, accessible flow focused on easing tension, moving mindfully, and leaving you feeling a little more grounded. 🌱 All levels welcome! Bring a yoga mat (or towel if you don’t have a mat). This yoga session will last about an hour, maybe a little bit more. A suggested donation of $10 is appreciated, but payment is absolutely not required to attend and enjoy class. A Venmo QR code will be available on-site for anyone who would like to contribute. 😌 Check back later for our specific meeting location in the comments or pictures below ⬇️

CMG Gives Back: Serve Brunch at FAITH MISSION GRANT KITCHEN!

Join us at this CMG Gives Back volunteer event as we get together to help those in need by serving brunch at Fath Mission Grant Kitchen! We have a great little community of Movie Group friends so rather than see a movie this time, we’ll help “create a better world” by helping serve those in need. Here are complete details and our plan for this event: FAITH MISSION – GRANT KITCHEN: The Faith Mission kitchen and dining room serves residents 3 meals a day, every day of the year. For this event, our group will help prepare food, serve meals, assist residents in the dining room, wash dishes, and clean surfaces. PLAN: We will be preparing / serving / cleaning for BRUNCH from 10:30am to 12:30pm and have space for a total of 7 volunteers. Please arrive at 10:20pm and wear closed-toe shoes and long pants. LOCATION: Faith Mission – Grant Kitchen is located at 245 N. Grant Ave. Enter the kitchen at Dock 1 (in the back of the building), indicated in the attached map. On-site parking in the adjacent lot and street parking are available in the surrounding area. Please see links / attachments for additional info / details. IMPORTANT REMINDER: Our group will be providing all of the volunteers on this day so a firm RSVP count is essential. Please only sign up if you are certain you’ll be able to attend. If something unavoidable comes up, please try to update your RSVP no later than one week prior to the event. With few exceptions, no shows or cancelations within 1 week of the event will not be eligible for future CMG Gives Back events. I appreciate your understanding as we try to ensure the agencies have the volunteers needed to provide the essential services they provide to the vulnerable population they serve. Our Partner Agency for this event is Lutheran Social Services! A huge THANK YOU to those volunteering at this (or any of our previous or future) CMG Gives Back events! Look forward to seeing you there, Dan