A New Face For The Newsletter

Tsuru Island belongs to the North American Japanese Garden
Association (NAJGA). With some research, I learned that theformat for the NAJGA newsletter is an electronic template
provided by "Vertical Responds". The e-newsletters are sent
as emails to the mailing list. There is no charge to nonprofits such as ours. Visit the NAJGA website on
greshamsistercity.org.
One reason we have chosen to utilize this tool is because of
the time it takes to produce the existing newsletter. Thecurrent newsletter has to be re-formatted for every reader
on the mailing lists to view. Keep a look out for the newest
version in January.

An upcoming opportunity
The volunteers at Tsuru Island are invited to join a delegationfrom Gresham-Ebetsu Sister City Association (GESCA) toEbetsu, Japan to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the sister city
relationship. Departing on Oct 2nd and return on Oct 16th,
2017. The size will be limited to 20 persons. While in Ebetsu,
a short home stay for those interested will be provided.
Otherwise, hotel reservations will be made.

After six days in Ebetsu and nearby Sapporo, a group will spend
another week exploring the Osaka/Kyoto area. Tad Tsuneyoshi
is planning to lead a smaller group to Tokyo. Tad will need toknow how many are planning this side trip ASAP.
The expenses will be approximately $100 per day, including
lodging, food, transportation, and miscellaneous. Airfare will
run approx. $1000 to $1500. Totaling = $2500 to $3000 perperson. A $100 non-refundable deposit will be required byDecember 31st.

SOME NEW PLANTINGS

Julie Larson, John Harold and others have been meeting tomake changes that will detour some of the damage being
done at the garden by accessibility of the garden fromareas other than the bridge.
Creating barriers at certain points around the perimeter ofthe garden will prevent access up and down the slopes of
the island. Most of the island is not accessible from thebase because of the water or the terrain. An example ofthis would be the azalea planting that flank each side of thebridge as you step onto the island. And also the junipers
that are planted along the west slope.
The decision was made to plant red twig dogwood along
the upper edge of the island, which will provide a physicaland visual barrier from the top and the bottom as one
would approach from the east and west. The purchase
was made from Beaverlake Nursery with funds provided
through donations earlier this year. The plants have abrilliant red bark which will start to spread and thicken
within a reasonable period of time. In the spring the red isstill visible but will be masked by the mint green leaves. This
planting will be completed the end of March 2017.
Some folks have lived in the area and had access to theisland for years. Before the "Rebirth" of the garden took
place, people may have taken advantage of many entry
points. Some people may be offended by the changes andmay clearly see it as an imposition. Be assured that as thematerial continues to grow and the bamboo fencing
expands the attempts to enter at various areas will lessen.

Any questions contact Ron Ture at 503-492-1339 (home) or
ron.ture@gmail.com

ISSUE 13

December 2016

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Behind the Scenes
When the "Behind the Scenes" articles began the focus wason those individuals that are mostly never seen, but
contribute to the garden and the programs of the garden.
This month I realized that from the beginning this newsletterhas been a partnership effort between my wife Katey and me.
Every month she edits the information that I put out,
sometimes telling me that it is too long and asking, what isthe point I am trying to make. The newsletter started with 3
pages and it did not take long expand to 4 pages.
Katey has supported my efforts toward the garden since thebeginning. Sometimes knowing that I might be staying longer
than expected. As my friend and wife she keeps me in checkby not allowing me to get overly immersed and troubled inprojects and problems.
She was also the secretary of theGresham Ebetsu Sister City Association for over a year.
Having a career in nursing, she has spent most of her years inlabor and delivery, working at many hospitals across thecountry and ending up in the Gresham area where we met.
She has completed 23 years working at Legacy Emanuel andMount Hood Medical Center.
Along with those 12 hour shifts at the Family Birth Center,she played a major part in our family landscape business andwas a crucial part of our success story. After we weremarried in 1992, Katey became involved in the businessoverseeing finances, policy and administration. She actuallywrote one of the first policy manuals totally dedicated to thelandscape industry. After my retirement from the company,
Katey became the sole owner of the company and continued
to run it until the company was sold in 2012.
After the company business ended and reducing her hours at
the Family Birth Center, Katey enjoys her time sewing andknitting. She has fun putting on classes to help her friends inthose areas. If you have ever seen segments on TV after atornado hits the mid-west; that is how our kitchen looks justbefore the holidays after Katey jumps into one of her favorite
things, BAKING.
Volunteering is dear to her heart; most of her weekly hours
are spent at Sheppard's Door, a division of Portland Rescue
Mission. She has also traveled to several foreign countries
with Medical Teams International to help with teaching Laborand Delivery and will soon be heading for Zambia, Africa.
I want to make it perfectly clear; this newsletter would not
happen if Katey was not involved. I always let her know how Iappreciate her efforts just after the final copy goes to Wendyfor distribution. THANK YOU KATEY!

ISSUE 13

December 2016

James and Katey Card
Strategic Partners
The City of Gresham
The Gresham Rotary
Historic Downtown Gresham
Resolutions - Inc.
Gresham High School
Johnson Creek Watershed Council
East Metro Soil and Water
Oregon Koto Kai
Edward Jones - Dino Rocha

HAPPY NEW YEAR
MOVING FORWARD WITH THE E NDOWMENTThe Tsuru Island Endowment has been in the planningstages for the last 2-3 months. 1) Use Agreement"with the City of Gresham allowing use of the Island andthe Resource Center 2) the account setup with Edward
Jones for the Endowment and 3) the guidelines tocontrol funds with expectations of growth anddistribution. All of these phases have beenaccomplished.
Tsuru Island Endowment is now set up to receive
donations, including electronic transfers from donors’
accounts as well as deferred 401K accounts. The 401K
accounts can have direct transfer from the 401K to the"Endowment" tax free.
The Endowment has already had its first $500 deposit
to the program, which came from a person who readthe last article in the Gresham Outlook about vandalism
at the garden.

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Each month some plants in and around the garden will be showcased. Clues will be provided in the description to be able tovisit the website and identify the plant and then venture to the garden to find that particular plant.
Any questions or comments please send to Gresham.Japanese.Garden@gmail.com .
#13 – You might have seen these specific plants before but not at the Japanese Garden. Back in 2014 they were foundat the skate park on the corner of Powell and Roberts. It is a euonymus.
#14 - Always near or in the water, this plant enjoys a natural environment. These plants came from two sources; the Cityof Gresham removed these from a construction site. Cardscapes donated the other group. They have an insignificant
bloom in the spring and summer and are cut back each fall.
#15 – You saw this plant for the first time in the fall of 2016. It replaced a plant that had died. It will look about the sameas when planted from a distance. If you look close you will see that it is now in training and has been pruned extensively toestablish a new pattern to its growth.

Vandalism and Recycling
KAZ KIDS Work ScheduleDue to the occasional vandalism, John Harold has been spent
many hours of repairs on the Azumaya and some bamboostructures. A decision was made to line the bamboo with steelrods. The stolen azumaya bench is not as easy to replace. Mostof the lateral material from the bridge railing system is available touse as recycled material. The original bench for the azumaya wasmade of 2 inch cedar that was part of the lumber package for theazumaya. The picture will show the assembly of materials for thenew bench seat which is made of 2 ½-inches Douglas fir from thebridge lumber. To get the width two sections were found that
had a similar grain pattern. The sections were planed at the edges
to be joined and ½ inch dowels were added every 12 inches along
the glue line. Then epoxy was used as a bonding agent.

PLEASE MARK YOUR CALENDAR
January 20th,

April 21st

May 19th

Once the bench wood is cured, it can be routered with 1/8 th inchround bit to finish the sharp edges that are exposed to visitors.
Final assembly will include placing the legs into the ground with
10-inch coated screws and finally a coat of the Rosewood oil to
top off its beauty.
ISSUE 13

December 2016

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Have you ever stopped to look at a larger mature tree andwondered how it got its shape? I recently was asked toprune a hardwood tree that was well over 20 years old. It
had some issues starting with the forked trunk. The trunkand branching showed no scars, cuts or breaks in that area
which means that it has remained unchanged since the tree
was first cut as a whip. The trunk never grows higher, it justgets bigger.
A mistake can be made when purchasing a tree. Do notassume that all trees have been properly pruned before
being delivered to the retail nursery. And certainly do notassume that the tree was cared for at the retail nursery or a
big box store.
One of the better examples of a problem tree that I
remember is a "Persian silk tree" or sometimes known as a"mimosa". This tree has many assets; including the featheryblooms in the summer and the graceful leaf structures thatwill provide shade. One negative aspect has to do with theweakness of the wood. Branches that fork off of the main
trunk can be overburdened with weight. Many owners comeinto the yard and find 25% or more of the tree laying on theground. The large tear-out might extend down the trunkand clear to the ground. Depending on the structure of therest of the tree it might be trained to continue growth on
the damaged/open side of the tree or it may have to beremoved. (Refer to previous articles about Dr. Shigo.)

inch, along with two washers and two stainless steel
1/2-inch nuts. I left a couple of inches of rod beyondthe nuts for future access if needed. I placed the nuts
up to the washers to have the strength of the two
branches working as one. The tree will continue togrow and in time it will encase the hardware which will
hardly be noticeable.
Before choosing trees for its appearance considers
these questions. This is not just a maple tree, what is its
specific maple cultivar? How tall will this one get? Howmuch sun does it need? What size are the leaves? Whatis the color of the leaf during the growing season? Whatcolor will they be in the fall? What habits does the rootsystem have? What about water... too much or notenough? Does the tree need to be sheltered from thewind or does it need to grow in groves? All of thesethings and more can be taken into consideration
regardless of a conifer or a deciduous tree.
James Card

Many times a tree with small splits or stress points where
the branches come off of the trunk of the tree can be seen.
Assisting the support to the tree with a post brace between
the branch(s) and the ground or a bracing system can beinstalled in the tree itself. A temporary use of wire andprotective hose that can be loosened and repositioned
periodically or a cable system connected with a single rod
going through two branches to add support.
I have had the opportunity to do all of the above dependingon the circumstances. In one case, a "silk tree" that was overten years old was branching away from the trunk as a "Y. I
chose to use a stainless steel threaded rod that was 1/2ISSUE 13

December 2016

Photos by Katey Card

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