GRESHAM JAPANESE GARDEN

Tsuru Island
James Card:

Planting a Personal Garden
Consider the surrounding area. What is it andwhat do you want it to be. This includes growth,
position of the sun and how the plantings might
spread over time and possibly become anuisance. The garden is going to evolve over time
and that growth over 5 – 25 years must be
considered in the planning.
Style is a big factor...so many to choose from,
European gardens such as Italian and English;
Asian gardens; and Northwest gardens; flowerand dry gardens are all possible.
Layering the garden is important, in and out plus
up and down are significant and rather basic.
Blends of texture and color are very important.
The color does not have to be blossoms but
include leaves, stems, variegations, shine,dullness, light and dark. Want some pop in thegarden, try a white barked birch in clumps orcontorted birch or the common river birch.
Check out other trees for the bark and texture
and its development over time. Benches, olditems around the yard, handing windows canpresent an unique effect and make the garden
individualized to your taste.
If you don’t have much room, consider container
gardens. Think of the presentation in a larger pot
with miniature plants and the use of rocks toenhance the design. This pot does not have to be
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Editora bonsai but can be very interesting with a varietyof small plants and bushes of varying heights.
Many of these plants need to be kept outside toendure the changes of climate and may need some
added protection during especially harsh weather.
This may also apply to various plants in the larger
gardens. If you have a particular plant that is notfrom your area, research the care it may takeduring winter times.
If you do not have the energy, time or desire to
grow your personal garden, find one in the areathat you enjoy. There are some of the most special
gardens and natural areas around the Gresham
area to enjoy and many around the county. Take
advantage of the joy and peace that comes fromviewing a garden near you.

Purchase a Paver engraved with yourspecial sentiment at the Gresham’s Ebetsu
Plaza Go to gresahmjapanesegarden .com

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New Fence
Now that the plaza is complete the next project willthe installation of the donated black chain link fence
along the Resource Center. Expected to becomplete by the end of October it will be a whole
new look to the entrance of the Springwater Trail.

John Harold

Bev Carlin

Volunteers, Members and Partners

September 8th was a very special
celebration for the completion of theplaza and dedicated to the volunteers,
members and partners of the Gresham
Japanese Garden and Ebetsu Plaza.
Entertainment was provided by Oregon
Koto-Kia. Those attending received aticket for a drawing and attendees
received a gift packet. A big thank youto Mary Ann Buck, Mioko Fuse, Alyson
Huntting and Bev Carlin for the planningand execution of Saturday's festivities.
As many of you are aware much of theplaza would not be possible if it were notfor the time and efforts of John Clark,
Sue Hughes, Alyson Huntting, theGresham Parks Department and manyother faithful volunteers. Thank You!
Prizes went toAmy and Sue Hughes
Mary Ann BuckAlyson Huntting, JohnClark

Linda BG ... "thank you" card set
Mable Pool ... "thank you" card set
Melissa McMullen ... cutting boards
Chief Sells ... wine display
Stan Morris ... bonsai

CORPORATE SUPPORTERS
Eri Muroi

Bentwood Tree Farm
Patterson Nursery
Cardscapes
PCI Arbor Equipmnet
Cy Graphics
Rainbird Irrigation Supply
J Frank Schmidt Nursery
Reardon Nursery
Kichler lighting
SiteOne Supplies
Les Schwab
Stamp Connection
Moxon Hardwoods

Jim Card, Sylvia Owen and Tomiko Takeuchi
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The NAJGA Conference
Every other year the North American Japanese
Garden Association has an international
conference. The first conference was in 2012 inChicago. Following conferences were held inColorado, Florida, and Hawaii. This year it washeld in Portland for 4 days with lectures andpresentation by renowned speakers from several
countries. Jim Card presented the rebuilding of theGresham Japanese Garden. The slide presentation
depicted photos taken by Bill Peterson, Tad
Tsuneyoshi, Katey Card and Jim Card.

A Museum Display
Gresham History Museum has had a display for Tsuru
Island for some time. We have been asked to provide
some more up-to-date information about the Garden
and the Plaza. Items that have been provided byvisitors from Ebetsu and our friends Tomiko Takiuchiand Mr. and Mrs. David Ris can be presented to themuseum. There will be pictures from the beginning of
the Rebirth of the Japanese Garden in 2011 that many
have never seen before.
Evan Smiley, the Director for Gresham History
Museum, has already submitted a plan for theremainder of 2018 and beyond. Evan will be taking alook at the inventory to see what she might like toutilize. Evan started the first of September.

LOOKING TO THE FUTURE
There are many projects in the garden and plaza that were started in 2017 and 2018 and will continue into thecoming year. Projects include:

The smaller triangle west of the main plaza and along the stretch of the Springwater Trail. The trees will
be planted utilizing water from the green house.
The storage yard continues to evolve. Parking is now available along the barn.
This fall and through the school year, the Kaz Kids will enjoy additional hands on projects where items
will be built and taken home.
The Gresham Ebetsu Sister City Association will host Japanese language students and the public a place
and time to converse in the language to improve skills and form relationships. Dates and times will beannounce.
An activity calendar of events for the Resource Center and the Garden will be placed on the website.
The website and literature offers private events at the garden and resource center such as, weddings,wedding photos, Tea ceremonies, promotions, elections, anniversaries parties and more. There are several
wedding request so far for 2019. The cost includes clean-up before the event, privacy notice at theentrance of the garden, pre and post wedding dressing and preparation in the Resource Center, and awonderful atmosphere.
Workshops and/or private classes will continue; such as "aesthetic pruning", "garden design assistance",
etc. Take note of the calendar for class times.
Weekly volunteer work days will continue on Saturday and possibly Thursday as weather permits. Eachperson will have a planned program to follow and will become even more diverse in scope as the projects
come to completion.

If you have an idea for projects or programs contact: gresham.japanese.gardem@gmail.com
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What Would We Do
Without Trees?
We have always taken trees for granted. A Ranger in the US Army statedthat if you know your trees you can survive anywhere they exist. They
have so many functions that you could never keep track of them all.
Some of the basic uses are wind break, shade, fruits, fires and shelter.
There are uses and pleasure after the tree has completed the life cycle
for its species. Just because a tree is dead or dying there are still many
uses and value, including forms of art such as furniture, live edge tables,
picture frames, tools and much more.
Today we as a people understand the issues of preserving trees andforests. We understand that trees do much more than provide us withuses that we can see; but rather they function as a process for the airthat we breathe. Replenishment of the trees is one of the most important
things we can do as a benefactor of mother earth.
Today there is the ability to travel from one part of the world to anotherand see firsthand the types of trees and woods that are available. We
can now share these different species of woods and learn about thehistory of the world through trees, including how many have used them.
There are charts established listing the woods from around the worldfrom softest to hardest. Every one of them has a unique capacity to fulfill
a need for man's life as a necessity, a function or a pleasure. Figuring it allout is part of life's experiences such as finding the wood that burns bestor does not burn well, offering a choice of what to use and when. The
same opportunity exists with outdoor versus indoor wood, water versus
dry, strength versus weakness, and sound versus no sound. Man has
figured out how to, join them, nail them, glue them, color them andshape them. In this modern age we have figured out how to use every
section of the tree possible.
Now there is the DNA process to determine the exact information about
a tree and its connection to trees in other parts of the world. In years
gone by some trees have been typed a particular species only to discoverthrough comparisons that they are not in that category at all. Examplesof this are the "mountain ash" and many of the cedars and of course theDouglas fir.
George Nakashima writes about the gift of the tree. The seed begins tosprout and takes hold not knowing what it will encounter. The root
plunges deep into the earth. In the leaves of the tree, that marvel called
photosynthesis takes place. Water and minerals from the soil, carbon
dioxide from the air and light from the sun combine in mysterious ways
to produce the very substance of a tree's life. Without this miraculous
process there would be no flora, no fauna and no man.

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