Garden Gifts and Funding
We have been very fortunate to have been giftedmaterials and funds for the use of building andmaintaining the garden over the past few years. 2016 isbecoming a year where major undertakings for thegarden construction and maintenance are being realized.
A committee is being established to pursue a "gardenendowment" program.
The framework for anendowment account will be established with the help ofDino Rocha of Edward Jones. A dollar goal, timeline,and pathway to accomplish this will be put into effect.
As you have read and seen the original garden was not
maintained and eventually over 35 years it became
unkempt and overgrown. One thing for certain is that
there was never a plan in place to assure the upkeep ofthe garden. With this in mind we realize that the people
and volunteers who are here today will not be present forthe care and upkeep over the many years to come.

economic changes.
There may not be the samecommitment to the garden that our current city
government has.
We are encouraged with the volunteers and hope to keepa strong program for the garden over the next years.
As part of the endowment, we hope to establish funds tosupport the employment of a knowledgeable individual/sthat understand the care of the plants in and around thegarden, water needs, nutrition, training of the growth,pruning and diseases. Included is the maintenance of thehard surfaces and structures. The need to see andunderstand the gardens future is of importance. We hope
to document as much about the garden as we can thatwill establish a road map showing where we have been
and what the goals are for the garden.
I would like invite our readers to consider offering theirideas and suggestions as we move forward. James Card

Likewise the City of Gresham cannot be dependent upon
to oversee the fostering of the garden, ie; budgets andIssue 9August 2016

Showcasing the Garden Plants
Each month we will be showcasing certain plants thatgrow in and around the garden. Three plants will beshowcased in this issue and more plants to follow.
Clues will be provided for you to go to the website tolook for the featured plant, what is the common name,scientific name, in depth details, and where it can befound in the garden. If you would like to know more,
send an email togresham.japanese.garden@gmail.com and a response
will be sent to you and may be featured in the next
newsletter for others who may have the samequestions.

#6 - A big plant with a big story. This plant is about 30years old and was originally purchased at a Fred Meyer
in a gallon can for $2.49. It was 25 years old andovergrown into the front doorway when the customer
asked for it to be pruned. Doing so would be detrimental
to the plant. The customer did not want to destroy theplant so they decided to donate it to the garden in themonth of January when it had defoliated. It took 3 men
8.5 hours to remove the tree and move it to Main City
Park. It was estimated to weigh between 900 and 1000
lbs. With the help of Campbell Crane the plant was moved.
over the bridge onto the island where it is sitting now.

#4 - This plant provides a purple bloom each year. It
was taken from a landscape that was being refurbishedand was gently cared for over many years. The
original plant was twice as large as it is seen now. Intime, with careful pruning it will return to that size. Itis planted in a partially shaded area with moderatemoisture and soil that is naturally acidic. The plant isthriving in this environment.
#5 - Donated by a vendor for one of the plant sales,
this plant’s blooms lasts about two weeks during thespring. When it does bloom it provides a sense ofroyalty while balancing with the bloom of a close
cousin nearby. This is a shade plant and will become
three times larger in about 4 years. It is a slow grower
in the medium growth category.

For questions or comments please
go to gresham.japanese.garden@gmail.com

As many of you know there have been 3 or 4 weddingsin the garden during the past few years. Even before thegarden was completed. During 2016 one wedding took
place and two inquiries for possible future events. We
can use this opportunity to strike some attention andshare the garden in this fashion more often. A
committee is needed to establish a defined plan of action
for these events, including availability of the garden,
how to announce the schedule, a routine for preparing
the garden for such events, and so on. If you areinterested in joining this committee or have an interestin being a part of a wedding support committee, pleasecontact Wendy by email.
Issue 9August 2016

Behind the Scenes
Those who attended the "Volunteer Appreciation Celebration"
experienced many fun events and some that were out of theordinary. One of those "out of the ordinary" experiences was
Mitsuki Dazai and her koto presentation. If you missed it there
are dates listed below for upcoming concerts. Mitsuki was bornand raised in Tokyo, Japan. After high school she studied at the"Kunitachi College of Music" in Tokyo. Much of her exposure tomusic at home and at school centered around western classical,
which she found uninspiring. While working in the library at thecollege she became acquainted with a record collection thatfeatured Koto as an instrument of Japan for over 1000 years.
This instrument has not changed from the original concept. She
was 18 when she started studying the Koto. In her own words,“it was a late start”. Usually students are much younger. She
continued her career path in teaching both music and specialeducation.
Mitsuki moved to the US in 2002 where she makes her homewith her husband in Creswell, OR. She has traveled throughout
the US, Canada and Europe organizing concerts of Japanesemusic, providing lectures and workshops.
As a master
instructor, she established the Oregon Koto-Kai non-profit
organization which is made up of men and women that are
passionate about the Koto instrument. Many of her students
also perform as members of the organization at Oregon events,festivals and anniversary concerts. Mitsuki stated that theAppreciation Celebration on July 16th was a special
performance for her at the garden because she could feel theaccomplishment and pride that was shared by all the volunteers
for the garden.
For several months during the spring a small group worked on
the Azumaya structure. The "Volunteer Appreciation Day" wasthe first time the Azumaya was used to entertain. You can only
imagine the feelings the construction group had to see thestructure being used. This was not only “really good” or “evenbetter” but was a privilege for the audience to celebrate withGrace, Mark, and Mitsuki.
Upcoming events and performances include:
September 15, 16 and 17 at 7pm; at the O-Tsukimi, Moon viewing atthe Portland Japanese Garden
October 23rd at 3pm; Oregon Koto Kia 5th Anniversary Concert at theLincoln Recital Hall (Room 75), Portland State UniversityNovember 2nd at 7pm; KSK Shakuhachi Trio Concert at Wiegand
Chapel, Marylhurst University
December (TBA); Oregon Koto Kia Holiday Concert at Epworth United
Methodist Church, Portland
Issue 9BANNERS ON DISPLAY
This past month installing the banners wasmade a priority for the Saturday volunteers.
The banners were made earlier in the summer.
The brackets and hardware were provided by
the City of Gresham. The banners werefunded through a donation from Janet Lee. The
fabric was sewn by Katey Card and the printing
was done by Cygraphics.
As it turned out we were able to use all 9 of thebanners. You can find them along the "spur",north and south of the garden.

August 2016