Profile of Jen Anhalt

Iowa Bonsai Association

Sue asked me to write a bio about myself for her and I said sure! What was I thinking?! For those of you that don’t know me, my name is Jen (Jennifer, but that sounds so formal) Anhalt and I am and have been the secretary of the Bonsai club since January 1997.

I grew up in a “plant” family. My dad has his Ph.D. in Horticulture and is currently the Department Head of Horticulture at Iowa State University. As a kid I got to enjoy the fruits of his labor...I really did. He ran and maintained his own set of test plots at Oregon State University where we got to eat all of his mistakes and finished experiments like blueberries, cherries, and lots of apples. Mmmm. Despite all of this horticulture, (my grandfather was also a horticulturist at the University of Kentucky) we never had a single plant in our house. (My mom just couldn’t keep them alive). So when I went away to college to get my bachelors degree in Animal Ecology, I had lots of houseplants in my dorm room and later apartment. It wasn’t until the summer before I was to marry Tad (also in our club) that I first really took notice of any bonsai. This was when Tad had his first bonsai. Needless to say it died about a year later.

We joined the club in the fall of 1995. Up until last spring when I received a free tree to work on at a club meeting, I was a passive bonsai enthusiast. The “I’d rather watch than participate” kind. Now that I’m starting to work more on trees, trimming and watering Tad’s, I have less time to do it. I am currently pursuing a Master’s degree in microbiology, which takes up a huge amount of time. Perhaps in twenty years though, I’ll have some trees as nice as the ones some of our members have.

Now, what Jen was too modest to mention:

Since joining the club in 1995 Jen has been instrumental in organizing the judging and awards for our Fall Shows as well as getting us booked into the Reimen Gardens for an upcoming show and workshop. No small feat with the demand for the Garden facility. In 1998 Jen, along with her husband Tad, received the George Roupp Award for 1998. This award is for outstanding service to the club. Best darn cook the club has also - what deserts!

Contact Jen through the Iowa Bonsai Association listing on the Iowa Member Clubs page.