Getting your garden prepped now for spring with Bernheim Forest

LICENSING SERVICES BACK TO THE LOCAL LEVEL. 545 THIS MORNING. OUR TEMPS THIS WEEK MAY NOT HAVE YOU THINKING ABOUT GARDENING, BUT AT BERNHEIM FOREST THAT WORK CONTINUES ALL YEAR LONG. YEAH, YOU SHOULD HEAD OUT THERE, EVEN IF IT’S JUST TO GET OUTSIDE A LITTLE BIT. IF YOU CAN BEAR THE COLD. SAM CARTER IS LIVE AT BERNHEIM THIS MORNING, SHOWING US SOME OF THE CLASSES AND OPPORTUNITIES THAT THEY HAVE COMING UP. IF YOU ARE A VERY SERIOUS GARDENER, LADIES, THEN COMING UP THIS FRIDAY, IT’S SOMETHING FOR YOU BECAUSE WINTER IS A TIME FOR YOUR OUTSIDE GARDEN TO REST. BUT MAYBE GET A LITTLE TRAINING IN HERE TO HELP US WITH THIS. THIS IS CASEY HAMMETT. HE IS THE NURSERY MANAGER HERE AT BERNHEIM FOREST ARBORETUM. HUGE JOB. WE’RE GOING TO GET INTO THAT IN JUST A SECOND. BUT WE GOT SOME WHAT, TO THE UNTRAINED EYE, IS DIRT IN FRONT OF US. I HAVE A VERY UNTRAINED EYE. CORRECT. CASEY, TELL ME WHAT WE GOT IN FRONT OF US. WE’RE GOING TO BE MAKING SOME POTTING SOIL, RIGHT? THAT’S CORRECT. WELL, FIRST OF ALL, WE’VE GOT OUR PERLITE RIGHT HERE, WHICH IS GREAT FOR AERATION. WE’VE GOT OUR COMPOST RIGHT HERE. WE’VE GOT COCONUT COIR RIGHT HERE. LET’S TAKE A SECOND AND TALK ABOUT COCONUT COIR BECAUSE I WANT TO MAKE THIS. SO WE NEED A CUP OF THIS. YES. YEAH. WE NEED TWO CUPS OF. AND WHILE I’M DOING THIS TELL ME WHY. BECAUSE THIS IS IN PLACE OF PEAT MOSS, RIGHT? YES. CORRECT. AND THE REASON WHY WE UTILIZE COCONUT COIR? BECAUSE IT’S SUSTAINABLE. PEAT MOSS IS NOT SUSTAINABLE. SO WE HAVE CUT OUT THE ENTIRE PEAT MOSS INDUSTRY AND WE HAVE GONE STRAIGHT TOWARDS COCONUT COIR. I LOVE IT. AND LET’S GO AHEAD AND POUR THIS IN HERE. WE SAY COCONUT COIR. IT’S COCONUT SHAVINGS. COCONUT SHAVINGS. THAT’S CORRECT. THAT’S THE COOLEST. SO WE’LL DO ANOTHER TWO PART CUPS RIGHT HERE THIS COMPOST. SO 1 TO 1 RATIO 1 TO 1 RATIO. THAT’S CORRECT. LOVE THAT. AND THEN WHAT WE’LL DO HERE WE’LL TAKE A HELP ME OUT WITH THAT OKAY I’LL DO SOME PERLITE RIGHT HERE. AND THIS IS SOMETHING THIS IS ONE OF THE THINGS PEOPLE WILL DO WHEN THIS COMING FRIDAY INTENDED. CORRECT. AND AT YOUR AT YOUR WINTER PROPAGATION CLASS. CORRECT. TELL ME HOW IMPORTANT THIS TIME OF YEAR IS FOR, FOR US, FOR THE PEOPLE WHO LOVE BEING IN THE DIRT. AND THAT KIND OF GOT IT. THIS IS A PERFECT TIME TO BE GETTING YOUR SEEDS READY. WHETHER THAT’S GETTING YOUR CABBAGES, WHETHER THAT’S GETTING YOUR KALE, EVEN STARTING YOUR TOMATOES OR YOUR PEPPERS, GOING OUTSIDE TAKING CUTTINGS, THIS IS A GREAT TIME. YES, WE’LL MIX THAT IN TOGETHER AND THAT WILL TURN INTO OUR POTTING SOIL. THAT WILL USE I LOVE THAT. YES, YOU CAN LEARN HOW TO DO THIS AND SO MUCH MORE. YOU’RE GOING TO GO HOME WITH POTTING SOIL IF YOU TAKE THIS WINTER PROPAGATION CLASS ON FRIDAY FROM TEN TO NOON, YOU ALSO GO HOME WITH SOME PLANTS. WE’RE GOING TO BE TALKING MORE PLANTS COMING UP, DOING SOME CUTTINGS AND HOW YOU CAN FOSTER THAT GARDENING SPIRIT ALL YEAR ROUND, JUST LIKE THEY DO HERE AT THE BERNHEIM FOREST ARBORETUM. WE’LL SEE YOU A LITTLE BIT. I KNOW IT’S GETTING ABOUT THAT. TIME TO START PLANNING SOME THINGS AND SOME STUFF INTO THE GROUND. DON’T ASK ME WHAT OR WHEN, BECAUSE IT’S NOT, YOU KNOW, IT’S NOT MY THING. BUT MATT MILOSEVICH USUALLY HE’LL HELP US OUT. YEAH. WITH WHAT YOU NEED TO PLAN OR WHAT. YOU KNOW, YOU NEED TO TAKE CARE OF. BUT I DON’T KNOW, SUSANNE. I’M NOT THE PLANT. I’M NOT T

Updated: 5:04 PM EST Jan 12, 2026

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For many, January is not a time to think of your garden, but Bernheim Forest nursery manager Casey Hammet respectfully disagrees.”This is actually a time to be proactive in your garden instead of not active in your garden,” Hammet said.This Friday, from 10 a.m. until noon, Hammet will be teaching “Winter Propagation: Growing Plants During the Cold Season.” The hands-on class is structured to get you ready for the spring planting season when it finally arrives.Those taking the class will learn skills such as making their own sustainable potting soil and preparing vegetable seeds for the season, to name two.For Hammet, this class could be a good way to wake up your dormant green thumb by getting a little messy.”When you are stuck inside the house during these drab, cloudy Kentucky days, it’s nice just to be able to get your hands in the dirt,” Hammet said.On Saturday, the Forest will be holding its ECO Kids Discovery Day. The event focuses on teaching children more about the wildlife found at Bernheim.

CLERMONT, Ky. —

For many, January is not a time to think of your garden, but Bernheim Forest nursery manager Casey Hammet respectfully disagrees.

“This is actually a time to be proactive in your garden instead of not active in your garden,” Hammet said.

This Friday, from 10 a.m. until noon, Hammet will be teaching “Winter Propagation: Growing Plants During the Cold Season.” The hands-on class is structured to get you ready for the spring planting season when it finally arrives.

Those taking the class will learn skills such as making their own sustainable potting soil and preparing vegetable seeds for the season, to name two.

For Hammet, this class could be a good way to wake up your dormant green thumb by getting a little messy.

“When you are stuck inside the house during these drab, cloudy Kentucky days, it’s nice just to be able to get your hands in the dirt,” Hammet said.

On Saturday, the Forest will be holding its ECO Kids Discovery Day. The event focuses on teaching children more about the wildlife found at Bernheim.