The Art of Ikebana

Children’s Day

kebana is a traditional Japanese
art form that uses
plants and othermaterials. It was established in the mid
15th century though
the origin dates backfarther. More than simply putting flowers in a vase, ikebana is a disciplined art
form in which nature and humanity arebrought together. Ikebana emphasizes
simplicity, minimalism, asymmetricity,
negative space, and selection of material
and form of the arrangement.
Sogetstu School of ikebana is a contemporary style of ikebana, founded
in 1927 by Sofu Teshigahara. Sogetsu
Ikebana can be created anytime, anywhere, by anyone, with any kind of
material. Plants are the products ofmother nature, but the basic principleof Sogetsu is “ikebana reflects the person
who created it.”
Nana Bellerud has been studying
Sogetsu School of Ikebana since 2005.
Beyond simply producing a beautiful
work of art with flowers and naturalobjects, , she seeks to inspire others tos soon as Hinamatsuri (Girl’s Day)is over, the Japanese celebrate Tango no
sekku (Boy’s Day) May 5th.
It is among Japan’s mostpopular national holidays.
Traditionally, the festival was a day to honor
male children and express hopes for their
future prosperity and strength.
However, in 1948 the Japanese government
renamed the day Kodomo no hi (Children’sDay) and it became a more general event celebrating the happiness of all children.
Despite this change, traditions associatedwith this festival date back to its association with boys, and includes symbols ofstrength—particularly carp, samurai and oakleaves. As a result, families display kabuto(samurai armor), eat kashiwa mochi (ricecakes wrapped in oak leaves), and most notably hang koinobori (‘koi’ meaning carp, and‘nobori’ meaning flag) from their homes.
There are stories that has been passed down
for generations about how koinobori became
the official symbol of Boy’s Day. Here’s one.
There was a time when many fish tried toswim up the stream of the Koga River. The
current was strong and many attempts were
futile. However, a golden carp managed tosuccessfully reach the upper stream andbecame a magical dragon. Of all the fish to
attempt to swim upstream, only the carp’s
strength and perseverance allowed it tobecome the one to succeed.
Source: https://sugoii-japan.com

I

Free ClassPOLLINATORS FOR
YOUR YARD
Saturday, May 21
1-2:30pm, IN PERSON
Join Deb Peters in the Garden’s greenhousefor a discussion on native host plants for butterflies and how to create a pollinator yard.
Learn where and how to plant milkweed andother plants to attract butterflies and otherpollinators.
https://www.greshamjapanesegarden.org/
class-registration/

explore the artistic concepts of ikebana.
In her bi-monthly workshop at theGresham Japanese Garden, she shares
the history and core principles of
ikebana, tools and equipment needed
to create ikebana, how to prepare theplants, and demonstrates the creative
process of various styles. Students thencreate basic style and freestyle arrangements followed by constructive critiquing by Nana.
Sign up for her Tuesday, May 10, workshop from 1-3:00pm. Cost is $55.
https://www.greshamjapanesegarden.
org/product/ikebana-for-the-season/

Freestyle arrangement

Upcoming Event

A

Workshops

KOI EXPO AND MORE!

IKEBANA

Saturday, July 9th
10am - 5pm

Tuesday, May 10,1-3pm

Join us for our first Koi Expobrought to you by Northwest
Koi and Goldfish Club, July
9th at Main City Park. Educational seminars,
the viewing of dozens of koi, a paper fishingpond for children, and a live auction with koi
and pond related items are all scheduled!
Next to the fish tanks, you will find bonsai andbonsai containers for sales along with bonsai
and ikebana, and koi origami demonstrations.
Mark your calendar for this special event!

https://www.greshamjapanesegarden.org/
product/ikebana-for-the-season/

BONSAI
Thursday, May 19, 1-3pm
Saturday, May 21, 1-3pm
https://www.greshamjapanesegarden.org/
product/art-of-bonsai/

ORIGAMI
Saturday, May 28, 3-4:15pm
https://www.greshamjapanesegarden.org/
product/family-origami-folding/Volunteer Newsletter Editors: Sue Hughes, Mary Taylor, Mary Dickson, and Mary Peveto. Photos by Bill Peterson.

May 2022

Tsuru Soars
Friends of the Gresham Japanese Garden Newsletter

Clean Air Monitor at the GardenWe have new install at theGarden that doesn’t needwatering! Neighbors for
Clean Air (NCA), a clean air advocacy
group, expanded its network of low-cost
air sensors into Gresham. Known as Purple Air monitors, these sensors provide
real-time measurements of particulatematter (known as PM 2.5) in the air. The
data is readily visible on the
PurpleAir.com website.
The particulate matter the monitors
detect is composed of small particles
and liquid droplets suspended in theatmosphere. Some of the worst contrib-

utors to particulatematter in our Metro airshed is fromdiesel engines.
Concentrations
show up to 20x
the levels associated with elevatedrisk of cancer andelevated rates of asthma, cardiovasculardisease, and low-birth weight.
With the Purple Air monitors, NCA cangain a better understanding of what’s
in the air we breathe. In fact, that’s thegoal of the project—to share data and

PHOTOGRAPHER’S VIEW

.春雨や相に相生の松の声
harusame ya ai ni aioi no matsu
no koespring rain, growing side by side,
whispering pines
knowledge about particulate matter,
especially in East Multnomah County.
The Garden is excited to work withNCA to co-create knowledge of the
air quality in Gresham. Learn more at
NeighborsforCleanAir.org

Mural Mural at the Barn

Spring is the Time to Enjoy Your Garden

In January 2022 we’ve suggested
it’s azaleas, wait until they’ve finishedkeeping a schedule of when to
blooming. After shearing, don’t forget toprune, fertilize, and clean up debris. remove inner branches to promote air
Below are the reasons why you should flow.
and should not prune at certain times SUMMER
of the year, a good reminder for all us Early summer is a great time to prune
gardeners.
trees like your maples, because all the

Depiction of final designAfter two years, we can finally
announce the mural project—earmarked to begin by thetime you read this article. Along with alarge historical mural of east Multnomah
county, we will landscape the space infront of the barn to compliment themural.
Partial funding comes from a 2020
Community Enhancement grant, a Regional Arts and Culture Council (RACC)
grant, (awarded to the muralist, Madison Hughes, #achy.hands), a Sherwin

Williams Gresham paint donation, andsupport from the City ‘s Facilities Dept.
The muralist and a design committee
of five finalized the layout. On the right,
you’ll find Tsuru Island’s moon bridge
stretching over Johnson Creek featuringresident wildlife. Left shows farm life of
Nikkei neighbors and cartouche. And, ofcourse, in the background, majestic Mt.
Hood stretches amongst the cascades.
Once a new garage door is installed,
look for a large kanji (ideogram to be
determined) painted on the door.

‘Hino Crimson’ Azaleas

One unique element of thismural is it will not be painted
on the barn.
One unique element of this mural isit will NOT be painted on the barn. It
will be painted on plywood panels, andthen fastened to the barn’s façade atdifferent depths to create a 3-D effect.
And, if in the future the City decides toremove the barn, we can move the mural. We are so excited to get this project
underway.

Flower Baskets in the ParkGARDENER’S TIP
Typically, you can plant your cold vegetables (eggplant, peppers, tomatoes, squash
and cucumbers) in May when your soil has
warmed.
Incorporate about 10% compost or otherorganic material. Add mulch (wood chips
or straw) around your plants to conserve
moisture and reduce weeds.
May is also a good time to prune sprouting suckers in trees or too much growth inother shrubs..
— Jim Buck, Garden Volunteer
and Organic Gardener

Enjoy this month’s flowering shrub, the hino
crimson heritage azalea.
These azaleas were planted on Tsuru Islandin the 70’s. They survived all these years
without additional water or amenities.
GJG propagated over 1000 root cuttings
that now live in 2 gal. containers—enoughso the species will not die out. We can replenish our stock and sell as a fundraiser.

It’s that time of year again when we hangflower baskets along the path of Main
City Park. The GBSD Exploratory Program
students are back 100% and learning seedgermination, planting techniques, wateringand fertilizing, and growing annuals.
And, they will take a hanging basket thatthey made home in time for Mother’s Day!

SPRING
energy is used up from the spring leaf
This is not a good time to structurally out, which means that summer prunprune your trees. They’ve used up all
ing won’t stimulate growth. Removing
their stored energy from the winter to suckers and water spouts will slow down
leaf out. Instead, use the time to analyze future suckering growth.
the growth and response from the cuts Thin out regrowth from previous
you made in the winter. Did the tree
heading cuts. Remove dead, damaged,
respond the way you intended? Are
diseased and crossing branches.
there water spouts? Answer your why
Prune plants prone to natural suckering
questions?
and/or winter bleeding, such as magnoNow IS a good time to candle yourlias, viburnums, and witch hazels.
pines by breaking back the tallest can- For plants prone to fungal and bacterial
dles to create a uniform size to the out- diseases, such as lilacs and maples, sumline of the needles. Also, when you have mer pruning is best.
a cluster of candles, thin by cutting out WINTER
the 2nd and 3rd bud candles, usually the In the winter time deciduous trees are
center one (See June 2021 newsletter). dormant and a less pest and disease
It’s also a good time to renovate your problems are associated with pruning
broadleaf evergreen shrubs, such as
wounds. They’re also showing theireuonymus, and Oregon grape, and it’s structure, so it is the best time for rea good time to shear your hedges. If

juvenation, structural cuts, and a goodtime to make heading cuts (only whennecessary) to stiffen young branches andencourage new branching.
Remember, when your tree goes
dormant in the winter, it stores enoughenergy for it to leaf out evenly in thespring, when it went dormant. If you
notice water spouts, and/or excessively
long branches in the spring, the tree istelling you, you removed too much. The
rule is no more than 1/3 its size.
FALL
You’re off the hook again in the fall toprune. Do very little if any pruning at thistime. Plants are in the process of hardening off for the winter, and pruning may
stimulate new growth susceptible to early frost or cold temperatures. The exception to this rule in the Pacific Northwest
is trees in the Rosaceae family and pines.
Prune these trees in early to mid-September after the cherry bark tortrix adultmoths stop flying.
Pines susceptible to sequoia pitch mothshould not be pruned until mid-late September when the adults have died off.

Volunteers Give Heart and Hands
by Sue HughesIlove the title of this article. That’s
what we do every Saturday, andmany times during the week. I believe we are one of the few non-profit organizations that don’t ask our volunteers
for money. We ask you to you lead withyour heart, and work with your hands tobeautify, maintain, improve, and preserve areas in The Garden; Tsuru Island,
Ebetsu Plaza, Ambleside Annex, alongwith the greenhouse and shadehouse, thepollinator garden, and the Gresham-Barlow School District (GBSD) Exploratory
Program. GJG records over 600 volunteer
hours per month, 600 hours!

And, we’re adding the mural space, andthe area in MCP where the Hiroshima
Peace Tree will be planted in September(stay tuned for more on that). We groupall of these areas together and say “The
Garden.”GJG records over 600 volunteer
hours per month.

Sharon Williams trimming Karl Forresterfeather reed grassto info@greshamjapanesegarden.com.
The second opportunity is through a
We have two opportunities coming up partnership with Johnson Creek Waterif you’re interested in becoming a volun- shed Council. They answered our call forhelp by organizing a JCWC Work Party
teer. The first is a Volunteer
on June 11th. Sign up here: https://Orientation meeting on May 12th,
5:30-7pm. Jim Card will speak in-depth www.jcwc.org/events/gresham-japaabout the areas we steward for the City, nese-garden-work-party/.
Thank you!
and where we need help. Send a RSVP

Mural Mural at the Barn

Spring is the Time to Enjoy Your Garden

In January 2022 we’ve suggested
it’s azaleas, wait until they’ve finishedkeeping a schedule of when to
blooming. After shearing, don’t forget toprune, fertilize, and clean up debris. remove inner branches to promote air
Below are the reasons why you should flow.
and should not prune at certain times SUMMER
of the year, a good reminder for all us Early summer is a great time to prune
gardeners.
trees like your maples, because all the

Depiction of final designAfter two years, we can finally
announce the mural project—earmarked to begin by thetime you read this article. Along with alarge historical mural of east Multnomah
county, we will landscape the space infront of the barn to compliment themural.
Partial funding comes from a 2020
Community Enhancement grant, a Regional Arts and Culture Council (RACC)
grant, (awarded to the muralist, Madison Hughes, #achy.hands), a Sherwin

Williams Gresham paint donation, andsupport from the City ‘s Facilities Dept.
The muralist and a design committee
of five finalized the layout. On the right,
you’ll find Tsuru Island’s moon bridge
stretching over Johnson Creek featuringresident wildlife. Left shows farm life of
Nikkei neighbors and cartouche. And, ofcourse, in the background, majestic Mt.
Hood stretches amongst the cascades.
Once a new garage door is installed,
look for a large kanji (ideogram to be
determined) painted on the door.

‘Hino Crimson’ Azaleas

One unique element of thismural is it will not be painted
on the barn.
One unique element of this mural isit will NOT be painted on the barn. It
will be painted on plywood panels, andthen fastened to the barn’s façade atdifferent depths to create a 3-D effect.
And, if in the future the City decides toremove the barn, we can move the mural. We are so excited to get this project
underway.

Flower Baskets in the ParkGARDENER’S TIP
Typically, you can plant your cold vegetables (eggplant, peppers, tomatoes, squash
and cucumbers) in May when your soil has
warmed.
Incorporate about 10% compost or otherorganic material. Add mulch (wood chips
or straw) around your plants to conserve
moisture and reduce weeds.
May is also a good time to prune sprouting suckers in trees or too much growth inother shrubs..
— Jim Buck, Garden Volunteer
and Organic Gardener

Enjoy this month’s flowering shrub, the hino
crimson heritage azalea.
These azaleas were planted on Tsuru Islandin the 70’s. They survived all these years
without additional water or amenities.
GJG propagated over 1000 root cuttings
that now live in 2 gal. containers—enoughso the species will not die out. We can replenish our stock and sell as a fundraiser.

It’s that time of year again when we hangflower baskets along the path of Main
City Park. The GBSD Exploratory Program
students are back 100% and learning seedgermination, planting techniques, wateringand fertilizing, and growing annuals.
And, they will take a hanging basket thatthey made home in time for Mother’s Day!

SPRING
energy is used up from the spring leaf
This is not a good time to structurally out, which means that summer prunprune your trees. They’ve used up all
ing won’t stimulate growth. Removing
their stored energy from the winter to suckers and water spouts will slow down
leaf out. Instead, use the time to analyze future suckering growth.
the growth and response from the cuts Thin out regrowth from previous
you made in the winter. Did the tree
heading cuts. Remove dead, damaged,
respond the way you intended? Are
diseased and crossing branches.
there water spouts? Answer your why
Prune plants prone to natural suckering
questions?
and/or winter bleeding, such as magnoNow IS a good time to candle yourlias, viburnums, and witch hazels.
pines by breaking back the tallest can- For plants prone to fungal and bacterial
dles to create a uniform size to the out- diseases, such as lilacs and maples, sumline of the needles. Also, when you have mer pruning is best.
a cluster of candles, thin by cutting out WINTER
the 2nd and 3rd bud candles, usually the In the winter time deciduous trees are
center one (See June 2021 newsletter). dormant and a less pest and disease
It’s also a good time to renovate your problems are associated with pruning
broadleaf evergreen shrubs, such as
wounds. They’re also showing theireuonymus, and Oregon grape, and it’s structure, so it is the best time for rea good time to shear your hedges. If

juvenation, structural cuts, and a goodtime to make heading cuts (only whennecessary) to stiffen young branches andencourage new branching.
Remember, when your tree goes
dormant in the winter, it stores enoughenergy for it to leaf out evenly in thespring, when it went dormant. If you
notice water spouts, and/or excessively
long branches in the spring, the tree istelling you, you removed too much. The
rule is no more than 1/3 its size.
FALL
You’re off the hook again in the fall toprune. Do very little if any pruning at thistime. Plants are in the process of hardening off for the winter, and pruning may
stimulate new growth susceptible to early frost or cold temperatures. The exception to this rule in the Pacific Northwest
is trees in the Rosaceae family and pines.
Prune these trees in early to mid-September after the cherry bark tortrix adultmoths stop flying.
Pines susceptible to sequoia pitch mothshould not be pruned until mid-late September when the adults have died off.

Volunteers Give Heart and Hands
by Sue HughesIlove the title of this article. That’s
what we do every Saturday, andmany times during the week. I believe we are one of the few non-profit organizations that don’t ask our volunteers
for money. We ask you to you lead withyour heart, and work with your hands tobeautify, maintain, improve, and preserve areas in The Garden; Tsuru Island,
Ebetsu Plaza, Ambleside Annex, alongwith the greenhouse and shadehouse, thepollinator garden, and the Gresham-Barlow School District (GBSD) Exploratory
Program. GJG records over 600 volunteer
hours per month, 600 hours!

And, we’re adding the mural space, andthe area in MCP where the Hiroshima
Peace Tree will be planted in September(stay tuned for more on that). We groupall of these areas together and say “The
Garden.”GJG records over 600 volunteer
hours per month.

Sharon Williams trimming Karl Forresterfeather reed grassto info@greshamjapanesegarden.com.
The second opportunity is through a
We have two opportunities coming up partnership with Johnson Creek Waterif you’re interested in becoming a volun- shed Council. They answered our call forhelp by organizing a JCWC Work Party
teer. The first is a Volunteer
on June 11th. Sign up here: https://Orientation meeting on May 12th,
5:30-7pm. Jim Card will speak in-depth www.jcwc.org/events/gresham-japaabout the areas we steward for the City, nese-garden-work-party/.
Thank you!
and where we need help. Send a RSVPThe Art of Ikebana

Children’s Day

kebana is a traditional Japanese
art form that uses
plants and othermaterials. It was established in the mid
15th century though
the origin dates backfarther. More than simply putting flowers in a vase, ikebana is a disciplined art
form in which nature and humanity arebrought together. Ikebana emphasizes
simplicity, minimalism, asymmetricity,
negative space, and selection of material
and form of the arrangement.
Sogetstu School of ikebana is a contemporary style of ikebana, founded
in 1927 by Sofu Teshigahara. Sogetsu
Ikebana can be created anytime, anywhere, by anyone, with any kind of
material. Plants are the products ofmother nature, but the basic principleof Sogetsu is “ikebana reflects the person
who created it.”
Nana Bellerud has been studying
Sogetsu School of Ikebana since 2005.
Beyond simply producing a beautiful
work of art with flowers and naturalobjects, , she seeks to inspire others tos soon as Hinamatsuri (Girl’s Day)is over, the Japanese celebrate Tango no
sekku (Boy’s Day) May 5th.
It is among Japan’s mostpopular national holidays.
Traditionally, the festival was a day to honor
male children and express hopes for their
future prosperity and strength.
However, in 1948 the Japanese government
renamed the day Kodomo no hi (Children’sDay) and it became a more general event celebrating the happiness of all children.
Despite this change, traditions associatedwith this festival date back to its association with boys, and includes symbols ofstrength—particularly carp, samurai and oakleaves. As a result, families display kabuto(samurai armor), eat kashiwa mochi (ricecakes wrapped in oak leaves), and most notably hang koinobori (‘koi’ meaning carp, and‘nobori’ meaning flag) from their homes.
There are stories that has been passed down
for generations about how koinobori became
the official symbol of Boy’s Day. Here’s one.
There was a time when many fish tried toswim up the stream of the Koga River. The
current was strong and many attempts were
futile. However, a golden carp managed tosuccessfully reach the upper stream andbecame a magical dragon. Of all the fish to
attempt to swim upstream, only the carp’s
strength and perseverance allowed it tobecome the one to succeed.
Source: https://sugoii-japan.com

I

Free ClassPOLLINATORS FOR
YOUR YARD
Saturday, May 21
1-2:30pm, IN PERSON
Join Deb Peters in the Garden’s greenhousefor a discussion on native host plants for butterflies and how to create a pollinator yard.
Learn where and how to plant milkweed andother plants to attract butterflies and otherpollinators.
https://www.greshamjapanesegarden.org/
class-registration/

explore the artistic concepts of ikebana.
In her bi-monthly workshop at theGresham Japanese Garden, she shares
the history and core principles of
ikebana, tools and equipment needed
to create ikebana, how to prepare theplants, and demonstrates the creative
process of various styles. Students thencreate basic style and freestyle arrangements followed by constructive critiquing by Nana.
Sign up for her Tuesday, May 10, workshop from 1-3:00pm. Cost is $55.
https://www.greshamjapanesegarden.
org/product/ikebana-for-the-season/

Freestyle arrangement

Upcoming Event

A

Workshops

KOI EXPO AND MORE!

IKEBANA

Saturday, July 9th
10am - 5pm

Tuesday, May 10,1-3pm

Join us for our first Koi Expobrought to you by Northwest
Koi and Goldfish Club, July
9th at Main City Park. Educational seminars,
the viewing of dozens of koi, a paper fishingpond for children, and a live auction with koi
and pond related items are all scheduled!
Next to the fish tanks, you will find bonsai andbonsai containers for sales along with bonsai
and ikebana, and koi origami demonstrations.
Mark your calendar for this special event!

https://www.greshamjapanesegarden.org/
product/ikebana-for-the-season/

BONSAI
Thursday, May 19, 1-3pm
Saturday, May 21, 1-3pm
https://www.greshamjapanesegarden.org/
product/art-of-bonsai/

ORIGAMI
Saturday, May 28, 3-4:15pm
https://www.greshamjapanesegarden.org/
product/family-origami-folding/Volunteer Newsletter Editors: Sue Hughes, Mary Taylor, Mary Dickson, and Mary Peveto. Photos by Bill Peterson.

May 2022

Tsuru Soars
Friends of the Gresham Japanese Garden Newsletter

Clean Air Monitor at the GardenWe have new install at theGarden that doesn’t needwatering! Neighbors for
Clean Air (NCA), a clean air advocacy
group, expanded its network of low-cost
air sensors into Gresham. Known as Purple Air monitors, these sensors provide
real-time measurements of particulatematter (known as PM 2.5) in the air. The
data is readily visible on the
PurpleAir.com website.
The particulate matter the monitors
detect is composed of small particles
and liquid droplets suspended in theatmosphere. Some of the worst contrib-

utors to particulatematter in our Metro airshed is fromdiesel engines.
Concentrations
show up to 20x
the levels associated with elevatedrisk of cancer andelevated rates of asthma, cardiovasculardisease, and low-birth weight.
With the Purple Air monitors, NCA cangain a better understanding of what’s
in the air we breathe. In fact, that’s thegoal of the project—to share data and

PHOTOGRAPHER’S VIEW

.春雨や相に相生の松の声
harusame ya ai ni aioi no matsu
no koespring rain, growing side by side,
whispering pines
knowledge about particulate matter,
especially in East Multnomah County.
The Garden is excited to work withNCA to co-create knowledge of the
air quality in Gresham. Learn more at
NeighborsforCleanAir.org