Side Shoots Jan 2024

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Jan 11, 2024

Plants in the Park

Presented by Steve Farrar

Will the ground in southern NH be snow covered in January?  Let’s take a trip with our speaker to see some greenery at the January 11th program, Plants in the Park.  Steve Farrar, owner of Pegleg Presentations, has traveled throughout the USA visiting all 63 National Parks within the National Park System.  Steve also operates Best View Adventures, planning and guiding National Park tours.

This program will feature five parks that were each exclusively created to preserve one specific plant species.  We will be teased by pictures from six more parks with dazzling varieties of plant displays, we will visit and learn about two bastions of Champion Trees, and finally, we will be treated to a tour of the gold-medal winner, the “Plant Heaven” National Park.

Come join us to experience the plant beauty of our National Parks. 

Starts at 7:00 pm
Amherst Town Library
14 Main Street
Amherst, NH

The public is welcome. All must register through the library
Mount Rainier National Park

Environmental Sustainability

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Environmental Sustainability

The Amherst Garden Club’s Environmental Sustainability Committee is dedicated to learning about and sharing sustainable gardening practices. Below is their list of recommended resources.

Favorite Resources of the AGC Environmental Sustainability Committee

Sheila Steele of the Environmental Sustainabilty Committee educates at the Souhegan Sustainabilty Fair (April 2025)

Plant Selection and Design

Native Plants

Winter-Sowing of Native Seeds

Invasive Plants and Animals

Ecological Landscaping

  • Bird Academy’s Guide to Planning Your Naturescape (from The Cornell Lab of Ornithology)
  • Wild Seed Project — The goal of Wild Seed Project is to build awareness of the vital importance of native plants and to provide people with the tools to restore biodiversity in their own communities. Though Maine-based, the site contains a wealth of information applicable to New England more generally.

Lawn Care & Alternatives to Lawns

Organic Material Waste Management

Yard and Garden Cleanup

Composting

Indoor Composting

Soil Health and Nutrient Management

Cover Crops

Coming soon…

Soil Testing

Water Management and Conservation

Rain Gardens

Pollinator Protection

Integrated Pest Management

Differences between Native Plants and Cultivars

Equipment and Materials

Tool Selection

Garden Plastic Waste

General/Miscellaneous

  • Seed Saving Tips by Mary Ann Kuhnert [linked document TBD]
  • The Great Tree Migration (Link to visual article in Emergence Magazine)
  • National Wildlife Federation Wildlife Habitat Certification Information and Checklist
  • Pollinator Garden Certification through UNH/UMaine Extension
  • Get on the Map! of Homegrown National Park (Non-profit co-founded by Doug Tallamy and Michelle Alfandari to encourage planting of native plants)

Nov 3, 2023 — Fortin Gage Florist

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Nov 2, 2023

Fortin Gage Holiday Arrangements

Presented by Fortin Gage Florists

It’s getting to be that time of year, when you need to spread a little holiday cheer.

Flowers have a special way of setting the mood, along with family, decorations and, of course, the food.

So come get a jump on your holiday décor, with floral arrangements for your table and more!

by Becky Fitzgerald

Come and kick off your holiday season with the Amherst Garden Club at the much-anticipated Holiday Floral Arrangement program.

Join the festivities as Jody Gage and Courtney Jensen of Fortin Gage Flower and Gift Shop demonstrate how to arrange an artistic and beautiful arrangement for your holiday needs.

Jody and Courtney will demonstrate four arrangements explaining the procedure to make them.

The arrangements will be raffled at the end of the program to those attending. Raffle tickets will be sold during the morning. 

This is always a popular program, and guests are welcome!

Starts at 10:30 am
Messiah Lutheran Church
303 Route 101
Amherst, NH

Side Shoots Nov 2023

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Nov 7, 2023

Gardens of the Emerald Isle

Presented by Jana Milbocker

Let’s travel!

Discover the magic, myths and beautiful gardens of Ireland! Enjoy an armchair tour of the National Botanic Garden, Lismore Castle, Kilmacurragh Botanical Garden, Heywood Gardens, Powerscourt, Ilnacullin, Fota Island and more!

Jana Milbocker is a garden designer, speaker, and author. She combines horticulture, design, and travel tips to educate, inspire and delight both new and seasoned gardeners.

Jana loves to visit gardens and historic sites in the U.S. and abroad, and share her trips through her books, photos and blog.

She is the author of 3 travel guides, and has lectured at flower shows, horticultural societies, garden clubs, and libraries throughout the Northeast. She is owner of Enchanted Gardens, a landscape design firm in the Boston area.

Jana will have the following books available for sale after her presentation:

  • The Garden Tourist’s New England — A Guide to 140 Outstanding Gardens and Nurseries
  • The Garden Tourist’s Florida – A Guide to 80 Tropical Gardens in the Sunshine State

Starts at 7:00 pm
Amherst Town Library
14 Main Street
Amherst, NH

The public is welcome. All must register through the library

Oct 5, 2023 — Kevin Martin

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Oct 5, 2023

Big Trees of New Hampshire

Presented by Kevin Martin

Are you a lover of trees, hiking, and all things nature? Then this presentation is for you!

Hikers and tree enthusiasts alike will enjoy Kevin’s presentation as he details local hikes that are designed to highlight Big Trees in the area. He will enlighten us about how trees provide for wildlife and the environment and will also discuss interesting facts from the history of the land that the trees are on. You will discover hikes that include old growth pine and hemlock forests as well as a city tour with a horse chestnut in Portsmouth, NH that was planted by a signer of the Declaration of Independence in 1776.

The presenter, author, and outdoorsman Kevin Martin, has been a wooden boat builder for over forty years and has served on the Epping Conservation Commission and as a State Coordinator for the NH Big Tree Program, where he worked with AGC member Anne Krantz.

He lives on the banks of the Lamprey River with his wife and often takes hikes into the woods with family and friends to visit Big Trees.

Kevin will be selling his book, Big Trees of Northern New England.

Starts at 10:30 am
Messiah Lutheran Church
303 Route 101
Amherst, NH

Side Shoots Oct 2023

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Oct 12, 2023

An 18th century garden revival: George Washington’s Mount Vernon Gardens

Presented by Betz Golan

Betz Golan highlights the historic nature of the Mount Vernon gardens and shares her experience as an interpreter in the lower gardens at Mount Vernon. As with most historical gardens, no one can say the specifics of the plantings but from family correspondence, dinner menus, reference books and local resources, a picture emerges of what the garden must have contained and how it functioned in Plantation life.

Betz has worn many different hats in the horticultural space. She is an ethnobotanist*, managed and owned an herb farm in Maine providing products to L.L. Bean, museums and botanical gardens for 40 years. Betz has also served as an historic herbalist to both the Shaker Community in New Gloucester, Maine and the gardens at Mount Vernon in Virginia for over 25 years.

She now lives in Bedford, NH and is a board member for Joppa Hill Educational Farm. She serves as an educator and manages the community garden and high tunnel production. Of special note: Betz will have a selection of products created for Mount Vernon available for sale after her presentation including herbal teas, seasonings, jams and artwork.

* Ethnobotany is the study of a region’s plants and their practical uses through the traditional knowledge of the local culture and people

Starts at 7:00 pm
Amherst Town Library
14 Main Street
Amherst, NH

The public is welcome. All must register through the library

Sep 7, 2023 — Kevin Bragg

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Sep 7, 2023

Of Pods, Packets & Promise

Presented by Kevin Bragg

Kevin will enlighten us on the history of seed and plant commerce in America and the people who sought to satisfy the “plant bug” within us.

With names like Bartram, Burbank, Burpee and Ball, learn of the people behind the evolution of America’s plant industry. Hear tales of how people, ranging from presidents to ambassadors to commodore, have influenced our gardening history in unique ways.

The evolution of seed packaging and catalogs, the import/export of plants to “the new world,” scientific advancements and cultural shifts have all led up to today’s modern breeding, marketing and selling of plants.

Using contemporary accounts, drawings, lithographs and photos, Kevin’s illustrated story follows the development of American horticultural history, from subsistence farming to ornamental gardening.

Kevin Bragg has over thirty years of experience in the horticulture field, including time as Coordinator of Historic Gardens at Canterbury Shaker Village. Owner of Canterbury Plantation. Kevin enjoys combining his passions for plants and history and exploring the relationships among them.

Starts at 10:30 am
Messiah Lutheran Church
303 Route 101
Amherst, NH

Side Shoots Sep 2023

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Sep 14, 2023

Composting Options and How-Tos

A Panel Presentation by:

Becky Stoughton
Mary Ann Kuhnert
Linda Thomas
Maureen Bourque
Erik Slosek (DPW)

Ever wondered how to use your kitchen scraps and yard “waste” to make compost that can be used to nurture your gardens while lessening your environmental impact? Or maybe you currently compost, but you’d like to learn how to improve your results.

Even if you live in an apartment or condo, this “Show and Tell” presentation is for you. This hands-on demonstration will show you how to do both traditional outdoor and the more recently developed indoor composting methods.

Starts at 7:00 pm
Amherst Town Library
14 Main Street
Amherst, NH 03031

The public is welcome. All must register through the library

Side Shoots Jan 2022

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Jan 13, 2022

Kitchen Gardens

Presented by Karen Woodbury
Karen Woodbury will be doing a great presentation on New England Kitchen Gardens. What was growing in them? Why? What were the plants used for? Where did they originate? Were they native? How were they used? These are some of the questions answered in this colorful Power Point presentation. Photos help identify many of the plants found in colonial gardens, so you can chose to grow them too!

Starts at 7:00 pm
Amherst Town Library
14 Main Street
Amherst, NH 03031

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Side Shoots Feb 2023

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Feb 9, 2023

Herb Gardening

Presented by Sarah Marcoux

This presentation is for those at any level of gardening who are interested in incorporating herbs into a new or established space as well as in containers. The presentation will address the propagation and growing habits of readily available herbs, as well as some which are harder to find. An overview of environmental conditions necessary to grow herbs will also be addressed and a list of culinary and historic medicinal herbs will be provided. The focus of this presentation will be on the use of culinary herbs.

Sarah Marcoux has been active as a NH Master Gardener since 2016. Her recent projects include planning and implementing school gardens. She also assists with the Free Seeds Project which provides seeds to New Hampshire schools, homeschool families, and education-based organizations.

Starts at 7:00 pm
Amherst Town Library
14 Main Street
Amherst, NH 03031