Hauck Botanic Garden: 2024 In Review
2024 was a year of exciting changes for Hauck Botanic Garden. Our historic home got some much-deserved recognition with Level 1 Arboretum certification. We added more wildlife habitat to inspire home gardeners with three massive native plant installations. And we’re improving park accessibility with a new interpretive signage project in the works, comprehensive garden maps and a plant collections catalog.
As our world continues to change, Hauck Botanic Garden changes with it. In 2024, our focus on native plants and urban conservation began at home.
Arboretum Status
In 2024, we applied for and were granted Level 1 Arboretum status through the ArbNet Accreditation Program. This international network of arboreta is sponsored by the Morton Arboretum, Botanic Gardens Conservation International and the American Public Gardens Association.
To earn arboretum status, we had to create a Land Management Policy for Hauck Botanic Garden. This massive document includes the history of our 10-acre property, the soil conditions and microclimate of the land, usage plans for the space and a step-by-step guide to the annual maintenance of each of the park’s 15 Garden Zones. We also updated our Collections Policy—the guidebook that all botanic gardens use to determine which plants can be added to their collection and how. These updates reflect our commitment to native plants and put a firm focus on highlighting species that hold ecological value. Alongside the updated policy, we began the arduous task of publicly cataloging all the plants on our grounds through something called an Accession Record. We accessioned 505 individual existing trees and shrubs growing in the park, then planted and recorded 116 more over the course of the year.
Becoming an accredited arboretum allows Hauck Botanic Garden to become a leader in public gardens and connect with other arboreta across the world. But we don’t want to rest on our laurels. Level 1 is the lowest level of accreditation; for the future our sights are set on upgrading our status to Level 2 and beyond!
Native Plants
Although Hauck Botanic Garden is home to a diverse collection of plants from all over the world, in 2024 we reinforced our commitment to native plants by adding 999 new specimens to the park. These plants were installed by our incredible horticulture volunteers over the course of multiple workdays, including two big weekend projects to create entirely new gardens: the Native Food Forest and a renovated Butterfly Garden. (Read more in our Volunteering update!) We also added many native sedges to our grounds.
Our big focus in 2024 was on native shrubs to fill out the middle layers of our gardens and create habitat for local birds. In 2025, we have plans to plant even more species, including a drought-proof micro prairie to showcase Ohio’s diversity of native grasses.
Interpretive Signs
We began 2024 by creating a proposal for six new interpretive signs to be installed throughout Hauck Botanic Garden. Bringing these signs to life involved a year-long conversation between the CGC and Cincinnati Parks. The proposal includes a Welcome sign introducing visitors to the garden and five signs highlighting our most popular Garden Zones. Each sign will feature a QR code linking visitors to garden maps and plant lists to allow for a self-guided botanical tour of the park. Our shiny new garden signs are currently at the printer and will be installed on the grounds in the spring of 2025!
Mapping Project
Hand-in-hand with our new signs is an ambitious project to map the entire grounds of Hauck Botanic Garden. Our plan is to create a map of each Garden Zone, as well as one comprehensive map that can be used to navigate the park. Late in 2024, we completed the first three gardens (the Food Forest, the Serenity Garden and the Ornamental Native Garden). The rest are coming soon!
Our new garden maps are hand drawn and feature all the major plant specimens growing in each garden. Plants are labeled, and each species will have its own description and photographs to make identification easy and to educate gardeners looking for inspiration. So far, we’ve written descriptions for 237 different species—and that’s only the beginning! Each map will be available on our website and can be accessed through QR codes printed on our garden signs. Our full park map will also be available as a printed brochure, empowering visitors to stroll our grounds and discover something new on each visit.
Staff Changes
A month into 2024, Julie Dennewitz joined our team as CGC Horticulturist, and in her first year, she has been the driving force behind everything you’ve just read about Hauck Botanic Garden. We’re inspired by her dedication to the park we call home and energized by her enthusiasm for incorporating native plants into ornamental landscapes!
Looking Ahead
In 2025, we’re committed to carrying on the work we began in 2024. This means expanding the biodiversity of Hauck Botanic Garden by installing even more native plants. It means improving park accessibility by completing our signage and mapping projects. And it means continuing to enhance our outdoor classroom with more interactive and volunteer opportunities on our grounds. Hauck Botanic Garden has been our home for 73 years, and in that time, our guiding principles have remained the same. As the CGC continues to grow, this horticultural heirloom grows with us.