February AGC Meetings

Details are now available for both general membership meetings for February.

• Daytime Meeting, Feb. 5 – “Releasing the Bonsai Artist Within”
• Evening meeting, Feb. 12 – “Feeding and Caring for your Backyard Birds”

Daytime Meeting, Feb. 5 – “Releasing the Bonsai Artist Within”

Learn about the ancient art of bonsai at Amherst Garden Club’s meeting on February 5 at the Messiah Lutheran Church on Route 101 in Amherst. David and Myrla Bryant, owners of a bonsai shop in Keene, NH, will present “Releasing the Bonsai Artist Within”. They will discuss bonsai history, various styles of bonsai, and perform a live demonstration of the bonsai process. Some large bonsai trees will be exhibited, and the care and watering procedures explained.

Myrla Bryant’s beginnings as a bonsai artist began over 46 years ago in her hometown of San Pablo City, Philippines. She has always had an interest in art, especially beautifying her home and environment through bonsai culture. Shortly after she began cultivating her first bonsai trees, a local Bonsai Master saw her talent and began encouraging her as an “artist in the making”. She studied under Mario Estiva and soon she was having one person shows of her own in her garden. Later she progressed to showing her art at local garden and flower shows in her province. She eventually developed a thriving business of cultivating and selling her trees from her home garden courtyard.

David Bryant comes to the business with a diverse background in business management, sales, marketing and advertising, web design and teaching. For the past fifteen years he has been developing new skills in bonsai design.

Both Myrla and David believe that participating in bonsai art has a nurturing and creative effect on the artist. They know from their own experience that a bonsai tree has the potential to teach several wonderful characteristics: mindfulness, attentiveness, creativity, discipline and purpose. The tree has a way of accomplishing these lessons in a very quiet and serene manner.

David and Myrla run bonsai workshops for high school horticulture students. Following their demonstration, medium bonsai trees will be available for sale at 10% off and a door prize will be awarded.  The club’s general meeting will begin at 9:00 AM, followed by a short social time. The bonsai program will begin at 10:15 AM. Guests are always welcome to meetings with no fee. During the winter months if the Amherst Schools are cancelled the day of the meeting then the meeting will be cancelled.

Evening meeting, Feb. 12 – “Feeding and Caring for your Backyard Birds”

The Evening Meeting of The Amherst Garden Club will meet on Thursday, February 12 at Pankhurst Place (11 Veterans Road, Amherst).The February (12) Evening meeting will take place at Parkhurst Place at 11 Veterans Road in Amherst starting at 7:00 pm. The speaker for this meeting will be Gene Harrington from Nashua Farmers Exchange. Gene will be speaking on “Feeding and Caring for your Backyard Birds”. Gene and his wife Judy are owners of the exchange, where their mission is to bring to the consumer top quality nutrition for animals as well as plants. Gene holds a degree in both Wildlife Biology and Entomology. If you enjoy attracting birds to your yard, you will want to hear this informative talk. A question and answer period will follow. Guests are welcome. If inclement weather, the cancellation will be listed on WMUR-TV. Gene had been scheduled to speak in January and unfortunately was cancelled due to weather. WE are happy he can come this month!