FRIENDS OFGreshamJapanese Garden

MarchTsuru Soars

PO Box 673
Boring, OR 97009

Friends of the Gresham Japanese Garden Newsletter

Who Are We, and Where Are We?

Friends of the Gresham Japanese
Garden are a group of volunteers
who have came together to “rebirth” the south end of Main City Park. At
the forefront of this rebirth is Jim Card, aretired landscaper.
This year they celebrate their 10th year
as stewards for the City, but the story
really began in the ‘70s.
Efforts to build a Japanese Garden wereundertaken by the Japanese American Citizens League after a bond waspassed in 1969 to build Main City Park,widen Powell Blvd, and reroute Johnson Creek. JACL named the island Tsuru(pronounced Sue Do) Island. Tsuru means developed two more spaces south ofcrane in Japanese.
Tsuru Island; Ebetsu Plaza and Ambleside
Many of the original builders from JACL, Annex, two public gathering areas comEd Fugi and Kaz Tamura have passed and plete with benches and picnic tables.
the Tsuru Island fell into disarray.
Behind the scenes is our Greenhouse
In 2011, Tomiko Takachi, first cousin to where we conduct our educationalan original JACL member, contacted Jim Floriculture classes for students and is
Card to “look” at repairing Tsuru Island.
our test garden.
Be careful what you “look” at. The rebirth
If anyone is interested in volunteering,is flourishing under Jim Card’s leaderyou can find them working away every
ship.
Saturday from 9am - noon. Contact
After Tsuru Island was completed, Jim
info@GreshamJapaneseGarden.com for
more info.

Pollinator Garden
Coming This Spring
Our Mission
The Gresham Japanese Garden
provides a place of culture, beauty andlearning for all who enter. The Friendsof Gresham Japanese Garden bear
responsibility to the city of Gresham,to build upon the Japanese American
legacy in the community. We foster
sustainability through leadership,
stewardship, educationand volunteerism.

Our newest addition to the Japanese Garden will be a pollinator
garden in the AmblesideAnnex behind where our picnic tables
are located and the new community
reader board.
The pollinator garden will be comprisedof native host plants for two specificbutterflies; the Monarch and the Painted
Lady. Habitat for pollinators is necessary
if we want to ensure their future. TheMonarch butterfly, for example, wasonce established here but due to lossof milkweed we no longer can support
their life cycles. These native plants will
provide a richer supply of nectar for all
pollinators.
All of these native plants are currently
being cultivated in our greenhouse as
well as some non-native favorites thatpollinators love.
If you want to learn more about creating your own pollinator garden, join
Deb’s free class coming in May.

PHOTOGRAPHER’S PICKThis photo was taken in mid January
but it could have been taken at any time
during the spring rainy season.
To me it seems the lantern, sittingquietly, has a view of interestingreflections in a private pool. The pebbles
in the background may have formeda small waterfall in heavy rain but it isnow quiet. The grass in disarray, similar
to one’s hair upon waking, is a bit likenature waking after the winter.

— Bill Peterson

Upcoming Workshops and Free Classes
Sat, April 10
1-3pm

Tuesday, May 11
6:00-7:30pm

Tuesday, May 4
1-3pm

Spring Lawn
Maintenance

Pollinators for Your
Yard

Ikebana for Every
SeasonGetting green, healthy
grass is not easy without some TLC. This Spring’slawn maintenance class will cover keeping yourlawn healthy and green throughout the summer
months in the northwest weather. It will also
cover how to get moss out, and what blend offertilizer works best for lawns, how to apply, an
overview of sprinkler systems and how to water
your lawn and your plants. FREE

Deb Peters will take us
through this free class in
the Garden’s greenhouse for a discussion onnative host plants for butterflies and how tocreate a pollinator yard.
Learn where and how to plant milkweed andother plants to attract monarch butterflies.
Butterflies aren’t the only pollinators. Learn aboutkeeping mason bees too. FREE

Tuesday, April 20
6:30-8:00pm

Third Saturday of eachMonth, 1-3pm

Thursday, May 6
2-3:30pm

Organic Vegetable
Gardening

The Art of Bonsai

Hanging Baskets
ClassJim Buck, an avid gardener since childhood
has a strong interest in
native plants and their uses by indigenous tribes.
In this class Jim will cover how to improve yourgarden’s health and our environment by growing
organically. The class will include soil preparation,
planting succession tips, companion planting,avoiding diseases, different types of composting,and elements of permaculture. FREE.

ZOOMOPTION

Tuesday, April 6
6:30-8:00pm

Learn how to create your own
Bonsai arrangement. Each monthwill be a different project to becompleted in class to take home.
Connect with nature and experience the stressrelieving benefits of this hobby.
$35.00 - Include instruction and all material.

Instructor Nana Bellerud will
cover the basic concept, techniques, tools and equipment,
and plant care for ikebana (Japanese floral art.)
Participants will make 1 basic style and 1 freestylearrangement with emphasis on seasonal themes.
Starter kits are available for purchase or participants may bring their own vases.
$55.00 - Includes instruction and plant material.

Take a few hours out ofyour day to make your own hanging basket ofspring flowers at Gresham Japanese Garden’s
greenhouse. Cherié with Cedarglen Floral will
guide you in creating a beautiful arrangement.
Cost - $22.00

THIRD THURSDAY BONSAI CLASS IS FULL.

Classes and workshops are in person. Registration is mandatory to keep
class size small. Register at GreshamJapaneseGarden.org

Dancing Cranes

GARDENER’S TIP
Slugs are coming out in force after avery damp winter season. Sluggo® isone product that helps control slugs andis not toxic to other wildlife. It provides
nutrients to the soil since it is composed
only of iron phosphate. Slugs havefavorite plants such as hyacinth andnarcissus blossoms, lily, etc. You can pickthem off just after dusk and dispatchthem saving the cost of the chemical
products. Slugs are cannibalistic and will
eat the remains of dead slugs so putting
them in a small pile will bait your nextnight’s culprits.

— Jim Buck

Gift certificates availableEbetsu Plaza’s newest edition,
Dancing Cranes. Huge thank you to
Alyson Huntting for this magnificent Rip Caswell sculpture she donatedto the city of Gresham.
Alyson spends numerous hours at
the Garden taking care of plants in thegreenhouse, weeding, and picking up
garbage, to name a few.
The Garden is very fortunate to have
Alyson as a dedicated citizen of Gresham
and a garden volunteer.

Community Reader Board On the HorizonW

ith the development of Tsuru needs to be built.
Island and Ebetsu Plaza, theHere we are March 2021 and the Comsouth end of Main City Park
munity Reader Board is 85% complete.
experiences a lot of traffic. Two years
Nick Bacon, the Eagle Scout with theago Jim Card came up with the idea toassistance of his father from Lovettbuild a reader board. Coincidentally, the Construction and other volunteers
city was dismantling a covered areas on helping, Nick has done a super job on
the Springwater Trail and he asked if we the sign. The gables and beams are thecould have the structure. Of course, the reclaimed wood, and the metal roof andscrappers that we are at the Garden, we pine underlayment is new.
said, “now we can use the materials toThe Reader Board is 8 ft x 4 ft doublebuild the Community Reader Board.”
sided. Half of the sign is for you to post
Like all projects, they find their space
your events, lost dog, or whatever you
and time to get done and stuff hapdesire—except politics and religion. The
pens for a reason. With this reclaimed
other half of the sign will be devoted tostructure available, we got a call from a Garden and City news. Postings will be
young man asking if we have a projecttaken down at the end of each month.
for him to earn his Eagle Scout badge. As We’re thrilled to offer this amenity to ouryou can imagine I was elated to tell him community.
about the Community Reader Board that

Nick Bacon at work building the Community
Reader Board for his Eagle Scout project.

2021 Summer Cultural Series

at Main City Park
JUNE 5

Sho-Art (Calligraphy) Live Performances
Art of Bonsai Demonstrations

JUNE 19
Shinobue (Bamboo Flute) Performances
Ikebana (Floral Arrangement) Demonstrations

JULY 10Koto-Kai (Japanese Harp) Performances
Origami for All Ages and Abilities

JULY 24
Koto-Kai (Japanese Harp) Performances
Ikebana (Floral Arrangement) Demonstrations

AUGUST 7
Takohachi’s Q (Drums) Performances
Art of Bonsai Demonstrations

Sponsored by Arts and Cultural
Assistance Grant

Upcoming Workshops and Free Classes
Sat, April 10
1-3pm

Tuesday, May 11
6:00-7:30pm

Tuesday, May 4
1-3pm

Spring Lawn
Maintenance

Pollinators for Your
Yard

Ikebana for Every
SeasonGetting green, healthy
grass is not easy without some TLC. This Spring’s
lawn maintenance class will cover keeping yourlawn healthy and green throughout the summer
months in the northwest weather. It will also
cover how to get moss out, and what blend offertilizer works best for lawns, how to apply, an
overview of sprinkler systems and how to water
your lawn and your plants. FREE

Deb Peters will take us
through this free class in
the Garden’s greenhouse for a discussion onnative host plants for butterflies and how tocreate a pollinator yard.
Learn where and how to plant milkweed andother plants to attract monarch butterflies.
Butterflies aren’t the only pollinators. Learn aboutkeeping mason bees too. FREE

Tuesday, April 20
6:30-8:00pm

Third Saturday of eachMonth, 1-3pm

Thursday, May 6

Organic Vegetable
Gardening

The Art of Bonsai

Hanging Baskets
ClassLearn how to create your own
Bonsai arrangement. Each month
Jim Buck, an avid gardenwill be a different project to be
er since childhood has acompleted in class to take home.
strong interest in native
Connect with nature and experience the stressplants and their uses by indigenous tribes. In
this class Jim will cover how to iTHEmprove your relieving benefits of this hobby.
garden’s health and our environment by growing $35.00 - Include instruction and all material.
organically. The class will include soil preparation,
THIRD THURSDAY BONSAI CLASS IS FULL.
planting succession tips, companion planting,avoiding diseases, different types of composting,and elements of permaculture. FREE.

ZOOMOPTION

Tuesday, April 6
6:30-8:00pm

Instructor Nana Bellerud will
cover the basic concept, techniques, tools and equipment,
and plant care for ikebana (Japanese floral art.)
Participants will make 1 basic style and 1 freestylearrangement with emphasis on seasonal themes.
Starter kits are available for purchase or participants may bring their own vases.
$55.00 - Includes instruction and plant material.

2-3:30pm

Take a few hours out ofyour day to make your own hanging basket ofspring flowers at Gresham Japanese Garden’sgreenhouse. Cherié with Cedarglen Floral will
guide you in creating a beautiful arrangement.
Cost - $22.00

Classes and workshops are in person. Registration is mandatory to keep
class size small. Register at GreshamJapaneseGarden.orgDancing Cranes

GARDENER’S TIP
Slugs are coming out in force after avery damp winter season. Sluggo® isone product that helps control slugs andis not toxic to other wildlife. It provides
nutrients to the soil since it is composed
only of iron phosphate. Slugs havefavorite plants such as hyacinth andnarcissus blossoms, lily, etc. You can pickthem off just after dusk and dispatchthem saving the cost of the chemical
products. Slugs are cannibalistic and will
eat the remains of dead slugs so putting
them in a small pile will bait your nextnight’s culprits.

— Jim Buck

Gift certificates available

Ebetsu Plaza’s newest edition,
Dancing Cranes. Huge thank you toAlyson Huntting for this magnificent Rip Caswell sculpture she donatedto the city of Gresham.
Alyson spends numerous hours at
the Garden taking care of plants in thegreenhouse, weeding, and picking up
garbage, to name a few.
The Garden is very fortunate to have
Alyson as a dedicated citizen of Gresham
and a garden volunteer.

Community Reader Board On the HorizonWith the development of Tsuru needs to be built.
Island and Ebetsu Plaza, theHere we are March 2021 and the Comsouth end of Main City Park
munity Reader Board is 85% complete.
experiences a lot of traffic. Two years
Nick Bacon, the Eagle Scout with theago Jim Card came up with the idea toassistance of his father from Lovettbuild a reader board. Coincidentally, the Construction and other volunteers
city was dismantling a covered areas on helping, Nick has done a super job on
the Springwater Trail and he asked if we the sign. The gables and beams are thecould have the structure. Of course, the reclaimed wood, and the metal roof andscrappers that we are at the Garden, we pine underlayment is new.
said, “now we can use the materials toThe Reader Board is 8 ft x 4 ft doublebuild the Community Reader Board.”
sided. Half of the sign is for you to post
Like all projects, they find their space
your events, lost dog, or whatever you
and time to get done and stuff hapdesire—except politics and religion. The
pens for a reason. With this reclaimed
other half of the sign will be devoted tostructure available, we got a call from a Garden and City news. Postings will be
young man asking if we have a projecttaken down at the end of each month.
for him to earn his Eagle Scout badge. As We’re thrilled to offer this amenity to ouryou can imagine I was elated to tell him community.
about the Community Reader Board that

Nick Bacon at work building the Community
Reader Board for his Eagle Scout project.

2021 Summer Cultural Series

at Main City Park
JUNE 5

Sho-Art (Calligraphy) Live Performances
Art of Bonsai Demonstrations

JUNE 19
Shinobue (Bamboo Flute) Performances
Ikebana (Floral Arrangement) Demonstrations

JULY 10Koto-Kai (Japanese Harp) Performances
Origami for All Ages and Abilities

JULY 24
Koto-Kai (Japanese Harp) Performances
Ikebana (Floral Arrangement) Demonstrations

AUGUST 7
Takohachi’s Q (Drums) Performances
Art of Bonsai Demonstrations

Sponsored by Arts and Cultural
Assistance Grant

FRIENDS OF

GreshamJapanese Garden

March

Tsuru Soars

PO Box 673
Boring, OR 97009

Friends of the Gresham Japanese Garden Newsletter

Who Are We, and Where Are We?

Friends of the Gresham Japanese
Garden are a group of volunteers
who have come together to “rebirth” the south end of Main City Park. At
the forefront of this rebirth is Jim Card, aretired landscaper.
This year they celebrate their 10th year
as stewards for the City, but the story
really began in the ‘70s.
Efforts to build a Japanese Garden were
undertaken by the Japanese American Citizens League after a bond waspassed in 1969 to build Main City Park,widen Powell Blvd, and reroute Johnson Creek. JACL named the island Tsuru(pronounced Sue Do) Island. Tsuru means developed two more spaces south ofcrane in Japanese.
Tsuru Island; Ebetsu Plaza and Ambleside
Many of the original builders from JACL, Annex, two public gathering areas comEd Fuji and Kaz Tamura have passed and plete with benches and picnic tables.
the Tsuru Island fell into disarray.
Behind the scenes is our Greenhouse
In 2011, Tomiko Takeuchi, first cousin to where we conduct our educationalan original JACL member, contacted Jim Floriculture classes for students and is
Card to “look” at repairing Tsuru Island.
our test garden.
Be careful what you “look” at. The rebirth
If anyone is interested in volunteering,is flourishing under Jim Card’s leaderyou can find them working away everyship.
Saturday from 9am - noon. Contact
After Tsuru Island was completed, Jim
info@GreshamJapaneseGarden.com for
more info.

Pollinator Garden
Coming This Spring
Our Mission
The Gresham Japanese Garden
provides a place of culture, beauty andlearning for all who enter. The Friendsof Gresham Japanese Garden bear
responsibility to the city of Gresham,to build upon the Japanese American
legacy in the community. We foster
sustainability through leadership,stewardship, educationand volunteerism.

Our newest addition to the Japanese Garden will be a pollinator
garden in the AmblesideAnnex behind where our picnic tablesare located and the new community
reader board.
The pollinator garden will be comprisedof native host plants for two specificbutterflies; the Monarch and the Painted
Lady. Habitat for pollinators is necessary
if we want to ensure their future. The
Monarch butterfly, for example, wasonce established here but due to lossof milkweed we no longer can support
their life cycles. These native plants will
provide a richer supply of nectar for all
pollinators.
All of these native plants are currently
being cultivated in our greenhouse as
well as some non-native favorites thatpollinators love.
If you want to learn more about creating your own pollinator garden, join
Deb’s free class coming in May.

PHOTOGRAPHER’S PICKThis photo was taken in mid January
but it could have been taken at any time
during the spring rainy season.
To me it seems the lantern, sitting
quietly, has a view of interestingreflections in a private pool. The pebbles
in the background may have formeda small waterfall in heavy rain but it is
now quiet. The grass in disarray, similar
to one’s hair upon waking, is a bit likenature waking after the winter.

— Bill Peterson