September 2023

Gresham Japanese Garden Workshop

Tsuru Soars‘The Nature of Haiku’Sunday, September 10th - 2-4pm
with Michael Dylan Welch
ONLY $15

Friends of the Gresham Japanese Garden Newsletter

Michael Dylan Welch’s workshop will take you on an exploration of haiku
poetry in English with an emphasis on the seasonal and nature-focused aspects of thispoetry, covering such techniques as kigo (season words), kireji (cutting words or a two-partjuxtapositional structure), and shasei (primarily objective sensory imagery). Includes a nature
walk on Tsuru Island, followed by writing exercises and a sharing and feedback session in GJG’s
newly remodeled Kyoudou Center. REGISTER HERE!

Regional Workshop at GJG

I
Two days of exploration: Oct 14-15, 9am - 4pm
Curriculum is designed for all ages of Manga artists
taught by local artist Brian Gonzales - ONLY $45
Participants will have the opportunity to enter a coloring contest judged by local artists.
REGISTER HERE
Volunteer Newsletter Editors: Mary Dickson, Mary Taylor, and Sue Protz. Photos by Bill Peterson.

t’s always nice aiming for goals to
SCHEDULE:
keep one focused. The Gresham
Day 1: Tour three unique nurseries
Japanese Garden’s goal is to have theand gardens you probably have never
Kyoudou Center completed by the time
visited before in the Portland area.
we host a four day regional workshop,
Day 2: Private tours of three of East
September 21-24, for the North America
County’s premier wholesale nursery
Japanese Garden Association (NAJGA).
operations with a catered dinner at
We have peace of mind that the buildBentwood Tree Farm in Boring.
ing is 90% completed. This month the
Day 3: Learn about GJG with presenvolunteers are frantically working to staytations, tours, and a complimentaryahead of the weeds and maintenanceHappy Hour on Tsuru Island.
projects for entertaining 50 guests.
Day 4: Build GJG’s entry garden’sThis workshop is open to everyone, notnobedan and landscape.
just NAJGA members. There are approxi90% of the meals are covered in the cost of
mately 10 spots still available.
the workshop.

PHOTOGRAPHER’S VIEW
a bright perfect garden
on a summer mornin the shade a weed
- Bill Peterson

JOIN US!
Complete agenda and registration at
NAJGA.org.

The Structure of Pine Trees
To identify a pine tree, count theindispensable andneedles in each fascicle first, next
quintessential elements
evaluate the appearance of the cones,of Japanese horticulture.
and then take note of its natural range.
Combined with rock,
Counting the needles is an easy step to azaleas and mosses, pine
identification. They grow in clusters oftrees define the perceptive
2, 3, or 5 needles per fascicle. Amongscale of a composition
the three categories, 2-needle pines are forming a landscape ofthe best choice for Japanese gardens.
heights and depths that
The Pinus thunbergii is the emperor offade the boundaries
the 2-needle group with its contorted
between a garden and acharacter, predictable growth pattern,
picturesque landscape. But
and beautiful dark tone of needles andremember, the specimen
bark.
pines we see take an
In general, pines are easy to distinguish enormous amount offrom other needle-leaved trees because skilled maintenance overof their long, narrow needles bound ina long time. They are notbundles; or fascicles resembling whisk“born” beautiful.
brooms; woody cones with tough scales; Eight species of pineand distinctive whorl of branches when are native to the Pacificpruned correctly create a specimen tree. Northwest; jeffrey,
In Japan, the Pinus thunbergii, black
knobcone, limber,pine, grows spontaneously in thelodgepole, ponderosa,
coastal regions, much like our coastal
sugar, whitebark andshore pines. The trees adapt well towestern white. Enjoy thepoor and waterlogged soils, and have a native pines of the great
talent for resisting drastic pruning, which Northwest, and Tsuru
makes them ideal specimens for cloud
Island’s specimen shore
pruning and bonsai.
pines and black pines, andPine trees are among the mostour very tall red pines.

Be Mindful of Plant Material
by Jim Buck

TWO-NEEDLE PINES
Pinus contorta*Pinus densiflora
Pinus mugo
*Pinus nigra
Pinus resinosa*Pinus sylvestris*Pinus thunbergii

Lodgepole/Shore Pine
Japanese Red Pine
Mugo Pine
Austrian Pine
American Red Pine
Scotch Pine
Japanese Black Pine

THREE-NEEDLE PINES
Pinus attenuata
Pinus bungeana
Pinus jeffreyi
Pinus palustris*Pinus ponderosa*Pinus rigida
Pinus taeda

Knobcone Pine
Lacebark Pine
Jeffrey Pine
Dai-oh-sho
Ponderosa Pine
Pitch Pine
Loblolly Pine

FIVE-NEEDLE PINES
Pinus aristata
Pinus albicaulis
Pinus cembra
Pinus flexilis
Pinus lambertiana
Pinus monticola
Pinus parviflora

Bristlecone Pine
Whitebark Pine
Swiss Stone Pine
Limber Pine
Sugar Pine
Western White Pine
Japanese White Pine

* Well-suited for Japanene gardens

Pine chart from Sukiya Living magazine

If you’re looking for a specimen tree for yourlandscape, consider purchasing a two-needle pine.

Gresham Rotary ClubNew Kanji

GARDEN TIPS
This time of year arborists are busy
trimming and mulching, so it’s a prime timeto secure wood chips.
Getchipdrop.com has been a good source
for me in getting free wood chips. The loads
tend to be as much as a unit (7 yards), so
you may want to share with a neighbor.
Winter mulching protects young trees
or plants sensitive to winter frosts. Only
gather now. You can spread after we’ve hada few good rains.
— Jim Buck, Garden Volunteer
and Organic Gardener

The Gresham Rotary Club
came through again for GJG.
This time we had nine volunteers removing debris andweeds from the west and northbanks and also weeding by our shade house.
The Rotarians continuously support GJG’s
mission and we are very thankful for theirservice.

The paint brushes haven’t dried up completely on Sue Protz. She dug deep in her
schooling to hand paint the stylized kanji on
the new barn door.
Although the descriptive words were too
difficult to reproduce with paint, Hollywood
Signs cut the words out of vinyl that she wasable to apply to the garage door.

G

ardeners know that annuals, like moisture loss as well.
geraniums and petunias, typical- Mulching is an important measure
ly need a lot of watering and fer- in conserving water for all your plant
tilizing over the summer months. Whatmaterial. Avoid spreading mulch right
you may not realize is that your trees and up against the trunk of the tree, as
shrubs need attention too.
that may promote disease or harmful
The prolonged dry spells of the Pacifbacteria in the tree.
ic Northwest’s recent summers have
Resist the urge to remove
stressed all plants. You can identify stresspartially dead leaves.
in trees by dropped, curled or cupped
Now let’s talk about the other plants
leaves, or entire limbs shedding. Wilted
in your garden that are getting enoughleaves can be the first sign of stress indeciduous trees, and they may not show water, but are still droopy or the leaves
are brown. These issues are not because
this symptom until there has been several weeks without measurable rainfall. of lack of water, but may be because of
too much heat or sun. Droopy leaves say
Conifers show stress through wilted orheat and scorched leaves say sun burnt.
drooped tips and needles that turn aResist the urge to remove partiallyrusty color.
dead leaves. Leaves, dead or alive, help
It is helpful to ensure when watering
shade foliage that wasn’t burned, andmature trees that the moisture willthose with some green remaining will
penetrate well below the first inch
continue to photosynthesis. Also, keepor two of soil so the roots will growin mind, if you cut back spring-blooming
deeper into the ground. Using slow,
soaking measures is the most beneficial
for mature trees. If you water withsprinklers, it’s best to water more often,
but with less time, so you promote roots
to grow deeper. It is also advisable not
to place the sprinkler or soaker hosenear the trunk, but closer to the edgeof the tree canopy, so the roots are also
encouraged to grow outward. This will
help prevent the tree from toppling
during heavy winds since its roots will
be more broadly distributed. Also, if treeroots dive deeper into the soil, you canmore easily plant shrubs beneath thetree canopy.
Trees that grow in isolation or without
the shade of adjacent trees may show
stress more quickly. It may be helpful
to grow trees in small groves to help
provide more shade during at least
a part of the day when the daytime
temperatures are high. Temperaturesin the shade can be at least 10 degrees
cooler that help prevent tree stress andWater deficient dogwood (Cornus)

Quartz Countertops
Like most remodels, once you update one
space, another space feels out of date. GJG’s
kitchenette counter tops was our space, so
we went to work on how to funding.
A huge thanks to Architectural
Solutions for donating two slabs of quartz.
They were extremely accommodating andgracious with their donation. Also thanks to
Brian and crew at Baseline Granite in Gresham. Not only are they excellent fabricators,
they are easy to work with, efficient, andwilling to discount their services too. And a
thanks to Rodger. He’s oneof our multi-talented
volunteers we appreciate .

plants like rhododendrons, you’ll be
cutting off buds that will be flowers next
year. Foliage will grow back unless theplant is too far gone.
As to scorched plants or trees like
Japanese maples, if they’re in containers,
move into the shade. If they are in the
ground, put a shade cloth over them,
until the temperatures during the day
cool down.
In times of stress, avoid pruning or
fertilizing because these actions tell thetree to work harder, and a stressed tree
can’t afford to expend more energy.
Pruning also forces new growth thatwill be damaged if there is another heatwave.
With all your plant material big andsmall, dig away the soil and feel how
deep your water is traveling. Look where
and when the sun is hitting the stressed
plants. Determine the issues and react.

Sun burnt weeping maple (Acer dissectum)The Structure of Pine Trees
To identify a pine tree, count theindispensable andneedles in each fascicle first, next
quintessential elements
evaluate the appearance of the cones,of Japanese horticulture.
and then take note of its natural range.
Combined with rock,
Counting the needles is an easy step to azaleas and mosses, pine
identification. They grow in clusters oftrees define the perceptive
2, 3, or 5 needles per fascicle. Amongscale of a composition
the three categories, 2-needle pines are forming a landscape ofthe best choice for Japanese gardens.
heights and depths that
The Pinus thunbergii is the emperor offade the boundaries
the 2-needle group with its contorted
between a garden and acharacter, predictable growth pattern,
picturesque landscape. But
and beautiful dark tone of needles andremember, the specimen
bark.
pines we see take an
In general, pines are easy to distinguish enormous amount offrom other needle-leaved trees because skilled maintenance overof their long, narrow needles bound ina long time. They are notbundles; or fascicles resembling whisk“born” beautiful.
brooms; woody cones with tough scales; Eight species of pineand distinctive whorl of branches when are native to the Pacificpruned correctly create a specimen tree. Northwest; jeffrey,
In Japan, the Pinus thunbergii, black
knobcone, limber,pine, grows spontaneously in thelodgepole, ponderosa,
coastal regions, much like our coastal
sugar, whitebark andshore pines. The trees adapt well towestern white. Enjoy thepoor and waterlogged soils, and have a native pines of the great
talent for resisting drastic pruning, which Northwest, and Tsuru
makes them ideal specimens for cloud
Island’s specimen shore
pruning and bonsai.
pines and black pines, andPine trees are among the mostour very tall red pines.

Be Mindful of Plant Material
by Jim Buck

TWO-NEEDLE PINES
Pinus contorta*Pinus densiflora
Pinus mugo
*Pinus nigra
Pinus resinosa*Pinus sylvestris*Pinus thunbergii

Lodgepole/Shore Pine
Japanese Red Pine
Mugo Pine
Austrian Pine
American Red Pine
Scotch Pine
Japanese Black Pine

THREE-NEEDLE PINES
Pinus attenuata
Pinus bungeana
Pinus jeffreyi
Pinus palustris*Pinus ponderosa*Pinus rigida
Pinus taeda

Knobcone Pine
Lacebark Pine
Jeffrey Pine
Dai-oh-sho
Ponderosa Pine
Pitch Pine
Loblolly Pine

FIVE-NEEDLE PINES
Pinus aristata
Pinus albicaulis
Pinus cembra
Pinus flexilis
Pinus lambertiana
Pinus monticola
Pinus parviflora

Bristlecone Pine
Whitebark Pine
Swiss Stone Pine
Limber Pine
Sugar Pine
Western White Pine
Japanese White Pine

* Well-suited for Japanene gardens

Pine chart from Sukiya Living magazine

If you’re looking for a specimen tree for yourlandscape, consider purchasing a two-needle pine.

Gresham Rotary ClubNew Kanji

GARDEN TIPS
This time of year arborists are busy
trimming and mulching, so it’s a prime timeto secure wood chips.
Getchipdrop.com has been a good source
for me in getting free wood chips. The loads
tend to be as much as a unit (7 yards), so
you may want to share with a neighbor.
Winter mulching protects young trees
or plants sensitive to winter frosts. Only
gather now. You can spread after we’ve hada few good rains.
— Jim Buck, Garden Volunteer
and Organic Gardener

The Gresham Rotary Club
came through again for GJG.
This time we had nine volunteers removing debris andweeds from the west and northbanks and also weeding by our shade house.
The Rotarians continuously support GJG’s
mission and we are very thankful for theirservice.

The paint brushes haven’t dried up completely on Sue Protz. She dug deep in her
schooling to hand paint the stylized kanji on
the new barn door.
Although the descriptive words were too
difficult to reproduce with paint, Hollywood
Signs cut the words out of vinyl that she wasable to apply to the garage door.

G

ardeners know that annuals, like moisture loss as well.
geraniums and petunias, typical- Mulching is an important measure
ly need a lot of watering and fer- in conserving water for all your plant
tilizing over the summer months. Whatmaterial. Avoid spreading mulch right
you may not realize is that your trees and up against the trunk of the tree, as
shrubs need attention too.
that may promote disease or harmful
The prolonged dry spells of the Pacifbacteria in the tree.
ic Northwest’s recent summers have
Resist the urge to remove
stressed all plants. You can identify stresspartially dead leaves.
in trees by dropped, curled or cupped
Now let’s talk about the other plants
leaves, or entire limbs shedding. Wilted
in your garden that are getting enoughleaves can be the first sign of stress indeciduous trees, and they may not show water, but are still droopy or the leaves
are brown. These issues are not because
this symptom until there has been several weeks without measurable rainfall. of lack of water, but may be because of
too much heat or sun. Droopy leaves say
Conifers show stress through wilted orheat and scorched leaves say sun burnt.
drooped tips and needles that turn aResist the urge to remove partiallyrusty color.
dead leaves. Leaves, dead or alive, help
It is helpful to ensure when watering
shade foliage that wasn’t burned, andmature trees that the moisture willthose with some green remaining will
penetrate well below the first inch
continue to photosynthesis. Also, keepor two of soil so the roots will growin mind, if you cut back spring-blooming
deeper into the ground. Using slow,
soaking measures is the most beneficial
for mature trees. If you water withsprinklers, it’s best to water more often,
but with less time, so you promote roots
to grow deeper. It is also advisable not
to place the sprinkler or soaker hosenear the trunk, but closer to the edgeof the tree canopy, so the roots are also
encouraged to grow outward. This will
help prevent the tree from toppling
during heavy winds since its roots will
be more broadly distributed. Also, if treeroots dive deeper into the soil, you canmore easily plant shrubs beneath thetree canopy.
Trees that grow in isolation or without
the shade of adjacent trees may show
stress more quickly. It may be helpful
to grow trees in small groves to help
provide more shade during at least
a part of the day when the daytime
temperatures are high. Temperaturesin the shade can be at least 10 degrees
cooler that help prevent tree stress andWater deficient dogwood (Cornus)

Quartz Countertops
Like most remodels, once you update one
space, another space feels out of date. GJG’s
kitchenette counter tops was our space, so
we went to work on how to funding.
A huge thanks to Architectural
Solutions for donating two slabs of quartz.
They were extremely accommodating andgracious with their donation. Also thanks to
Brian and crew at Baseline Granite in Gresham. Not only are they excellent fabricators,
they are easy to work with, efficient, andwilling to discount their services too. And a
thanks to Rodger. He’s oneof our multi-talented
volunteers we appreciate .

plants like rhododendrons, you’ll be
cutting off buds that will be flowers next
year. Foliage will grow back unless theplant is too far gone.
As to scorched plants or trees like
Japanese maples, if they’re in containers,
move into the shade. If they are in the
ground, put a shade cloth over them,
until the temperatures during the day
cool down.
In times of stress, avoid pruning or
fertilizing because these actions tell thetree to work harder, and a stressed tree
can’t afford to expend more energy.
Pruning also forces new growth thatwill be damaged if there is another heatwave.
With all your plant material big andsmall, dig away the soil and feel how
deep your water is traveling. Look where
and when the sun is hitting the stressed
plants. Determine the issues and react.

Sun burnt weeping maple (Acer dissectum)September 2023

Gresham Japanese Garden Workshop

Tsuru Soars‘The Nature of Haiku’Sunday, September 10th - 2-4pm
with Michael Dylan Welch
ONLY $15

Friends of the Gresham Japanese Garden Newsletter

Michael Dylan Welch’s workshop will take you on an exploration of haiku
poetry in English with an emphasis on the seasonal and nature-focused aspects of thispoetry, covering such techniques as kigo (season words), kireji (cutting words or a two-partjuxtapositional structure), and shasei (primarily objective sensory imagery). Includes a nature
walk on Tsuru Island, followed by writing exercises and a sharing and feedback session in GJG’s
newly remodeled Kyoudou Center. REGISTER HERE!

Regional Workshop at GJG

I
Two days of exploration: Oct 14-15, 9am - 4pm
Curriculum is designed for all ages of Manga artists
taught by local artist Brian Gonzales - ONLY $45
Participants will have the opportunity to enter a coloring contest judged by local artists.
REGISTER HERE
Volunteer Newsletter Editors: Mary Dickson, Mary Taylor, and Sue Protz. Photos by Bill Peterson.

t’s always nice aiming for goals to
SCHEDULE:
keep one focused. The Gresham
Day 1: Tour three unique nurseries
Japanese Garden’s goal is to have theand gardens you probably have never
Kyoudou Center completed by the time
visited before in the Portland area.
we host a four day regional workshop,
Day 2: Private tours of three of East
September 21-24, for the North America
County’s premier wholesale nursery
Japanese Garden Association (NAJGA).
operations with a catered dinner at
We have peace of mind that the buildBentwood Tree Farm in Boring.
ing is 90% completed. This month the
Day 3: Learn about GJG with presenvolunteers are frantically working to staytations, tours, and a complimentaryahead of the weeds and maintenanceHappy Hour on Tsuru Island.
projects for entertaining 50 guests.
Day 4: Build GJG’s entry garden’sThis workshop is open to everyone, notnobedan and landscape.
just NAJGA members. There are approxi90% of the meals are covered in the cost of
mately 10 spots still available.
the workshop.

PHOTOGRAPHER’S VIEW
a bright perfect garden
on a summer mornin the shade a weed
- Bill Peterson

JOIN US!
Complete agenda and registration at
NAJGA.org.