What Does Aesthetic Pruning Mean?

A

fter a little over a year offering
pruning classes, GJG has beenasked periodically, “what does
aesthetic pruning mean?” It’s a goodquestion since we use the word“aesthetic” a lot in our material. I was
happy to see this question answered
recently in one of our trusted publications, Sukiya Living.
Leslie Buck, an aesthetic tree pruning
specialist, says to imagine paint thrown
on a canvas. Someone has to move thepaint around to develop a picture. Someone has to dust the painting or restore

the painting if it’s neglected. Insteadof working with paint on a canvas, anaesthetic pruner works with three-dimensional living plants. It’s both simple
and complicated at once.
The natural aesthetics of the tree
drives the pruning session. What would
the mature tree or shrub look like innature? How do the branches hang,or stand up? Is it suppose to be tallor wide? What are its most importantfeatures: the bark, leaves, or its overall branching structure? An aesthetic
pruner studies these variables before

December 2023

the pruners are opened. Another variablein consideration is the landscape. Are
other plants crowding the space? Is there
enough sunlight reaching the space?
What is the focal point in the landscape?
An aesthetic pruner trys to creatively
problem solves issues through the threebasic pruning cuts: thinning, reduction,and heading, always keeping the healthof the plant as the priority to create awork of art.

Tsuru Soars
Friends of the Gresham Japanese Garden Newsletter

Pruning Program Classes
Fundamentals of Pruning, on Zoom: Thursday, December 7th, 6:00pm–8:00pm - $20
LINCOLN PROUD, INSTRUCTOR: In addition to how to make cuts and shape plants, Lincoln will discuss why we prune,
what tools should be used, and even some basic plant biology—all of which form the foundation and provide the necessary
background knowledge needed to prune woody plants correctly. After covering these topics, he will describe how toapproach a variety of plants found in landscapes. Zoom courses are recorded and available for two weeks after the course date.

All-day Hands-on Pruning Workshop at Vanport International’s Japanese garden in Boring, OR Saturday, January 6th,10:00am–4:00pm - $100.
The focus of this workshop will be pruning vine maples and upright maples.

Fundamentals of Conifers, on Zoom: Thursday, February 8th, 6:00pm–8:00pm - $20
MARYANN LEWIS, INSTRUCTOR: In the Northwest, we know there is more to conifers than Christmas trees! Learn
fundamental pruning techniques for your favorite conifers including pines, spruce, hinoki and how to interpret cultivars. This
class will help you feel comfortable making pruning decisions so you can enjoy your conifers even more. There will be timeat the end of the course for questions and answers. Zoom courses are recorded and available for two weeks.

Spring Maintenance on Pines: Saturday, May 18th, 12:00pm–2:00pm - $45
LAURA DUFALA, INSTRUCTOR: Learn the niwa method of candling and needling to maintain cloud-prune aesthetics andkeep a manageable size, and aesthetic focal point of your pines in a landscape. This workshop is in person at Tsuru Island,
Gresham Japanese Garden. Bring your pruners. Laura typically turns her classes into an interactive collaborative session.

Pruning Lace-leaf Maples for Character: Saturday, June 22nd, 12:30pm–2:30pm - $45
LINCOLN PROUD, INSTRUCTOR: Many people care for maple trees on their property, especially lace-leaf maples. One of
the most popularf lace-leaf maples is Acer palmatum var. dissectum ‘Crimson Queen’. In this pruning course, Lincoln Proudwill focus on the fundamentals of pruning as it pertains to lace leaf maples. The class will begin with a short lecture on
basic botany and growth habits as it pertains to lace-leaf maples in Gresham Japanese Garden’s newly remodeled Kyoudou
Center. After the lecture students will walk down to the Japanese garden with Proud and learn how pruning fundamentals
are applied to various circumstances of lace-leaf maples on Tsuru Island, and how to apply this information to their own
trees. There will be time at the end for questions and answers.
REGISTER HERE
Volunteer Newsletter Editors: Mary Marrs, Mary Dickson, Mary Taylor, and Sue Protz. Photos by Bill Peterson.

Spread Your Support

As Garden Director Jim Card was
re-birthing Tsuru Island (20112016), he made a promise to not
let Tsuru Island fall into disarray again.
Because Japanese gardens require somuch maintenance, it’s actually quite acommon problem for smaller gardens.
The solution occurred during the development of Ebetsu Plaza. Tomiko Takeuchi loved the idea of a paver pathway,
and Jim was searching for a sustainable
fundraiser to set up an endowment
fund. The answer, the Touchstone Paver
program.
If you’re looking for a unique gift tohonor someone thisholiday season, for$125 you can purchase a 7.5” x 7.5”
custom engraved
paver, where it will
live at Ebetsu Plazain Main City Park.
Thanks to Stamp Connection who donates the engraving, all the proceeds go
into the endowment fund to support future maintenance. Our goal is $100,000.
We’re currently at $36.000.
We make it easy. Download the form,or purchase online. Arigatou.

PHOTOGRAPHER’S VIEW
falling leaves
paint the garden
where are the butterflies- Bill Peterson

Cassie Fisher

Arigatou to a Successful Yearby Mary Marrs

A

selftaught
artist,Cassie Fisher
entices theviewer into
her artwork.
And in themural shecreated for
Cassie Fisher, muralist
the GJG’s
Kyoudou
Center, she does just that. Her solitarycrane standing in the foreground seems
to beckon the observer to be part of theancient pine trees, peaceful river, andsoft mountains.
“I like to find the magic in my paintings,”
Cassie says, “and nature is magic to me.”by Sue Protz

T

Commissioned to paint the interiormural as part of the Center’s renovation,
Cassie said that she worked with Garden
Director Jim Card and Activities Director
Sue Protz to develop their ideas. Thenwith rough sketches, she suggested
the simplicity of just one red-headed
crane gazing into the distant misty cliffs.
Through color and depth, the muralinvites the observer to step into theserenity of the landscape alongside thecrane.
Originally, Cassie couldn’t imagine
making a living as an artist even thoughtalent runs in her family. It wasn’t until
she won a high school contest and her

artwork displayed in the White House
that she realized she could.
When she started her business in
2012, one of her first commissions waswith the Portland Ronald McDonald
House. Using Northwest themes, she
painted rooms and hallways withevergreen forests, ocean beaches,
sagebrush plains, Mt Hood, andmany of the iconic animals of thoselandscapes.
It was her talent and passion for
nature that got her recommended
to the Garden. While painting theCenter’s mural, she got to experience
the joy and passion of other Garden
volunteers. She said their interaction
was beautiful, and after being treatedto a plateful of cookies, she said, “Theyare the nicest volunteers!”

Peace and Harmony

Wreath Making Workshop

Thanks to a City of Gresham cultural grantawarded to the Gresham Butte Neighborhood Association, the City of Gresham andthe Gresham Japanese Garden are stewardsof another Rip Caswell bronze sculpture.
‘Koi in Harmony’ is a beautiful piece ofwork that found a home in the Hiroshima
Peace Tree garden. A dedication took placein 2021.

A sold out crowd attended the wreath making holiday event, raising $2,500 for Snowcap Charities.
GJG co-hosted the event with Burns Feed
Store. All the wreath material was suppliedby friends and neighbors. Sue Protz says, “It’sgreat to live in the PNW where the variety ofplant material is so plentiful to choose from.”“I like to find the magic in mypaintings,” Cassie says, “andnature is magic to me.”GARDEN TIPS
December is the best time to complete
pruning of larger tree limbs before muchcolder weather occurs. Once leaves havefallen you can remove sucker branchesfrom fruit or flowering trees.
I hope you and your garden flourishedafter you read two years of “Garden Tips.”
It’s time to pass the baton. Starting In
January, ‘Garden Tips’ is being replacedwith ‘Haiko Corner’Thank you for sharing your time with me.
— Jim Buck, Garden Volunteer
and Organic GardenerNot receiving the grant just propelled
he Gresham Japanese Garden
Jim and me more to figure out a costhas much to be thankful for.
effective AND aesthetic solution. Then,In the space of nine months
out of the blue as we’re talking to Jodie
in 2023, from funding to completion,
at Budget Blinds, she says, “Oh, I know
we transformed GJG’s trailer into aJapanese-inspired architectural building. a guy who installs a protective film on
We ended 2022 with a capital campaign windows.” Boost #10. Advanced Film
Technologies were lined up to install theraising $25,000 through an auction,
protective film on the windows withinsponsorships and donations. It was aa week of the window install. This was
nice boost of confidence moving into
all happening too when the downtown
the new year.
In the months of January and February Gresham establishments got theirwindows smashed.
when weather was bad, we replaced
two windows in the back of the building Spring and summer brought great
weather. GJG hired a contractor to build
and ripped out the drop ceiling. With
the wrap-around overhang. And thethe help of our first partner, Gresham
Heating and Air Conditioning, we were deck was completed by a hard working,detail-oriented group of volunteers,able to replace the air duct system in anow, vaulted ceiling. Not having a dated saving us more money. The building wascompleted by the end of August. We
drop ceiling opened our eyes to thewere ahead of schedule.
possibilities ahead.
You see, way back in 2022 we madeAfter a successful raffle raising $6000,
a commitment to the North America
we received our first big win. Milgard
Windows and Doors awarded our request Japanese Garden Association to hostfor over $12,000 worth of product­­— the one of their regional workshops. We
two 12’ sliders and the 6’ moon window. chose Sept 21-24, 2023, giving us
nine months in 2023 to complete the
By April, we were almost done withremodel.
the interior of the Kyoudou Center. An
Everything continued to fall into place.
all-volunteer group completed all the
drywall, taping, painting, etc., saving us We even added a project in September,building a retaining wall for the City ina lot of money. Orient Electric donatedthe back of the Kyoudou Center.
all their services, making us incredibly
The last big highlight of our year
fortunate to be deserving of theirwas hosting 35 members from North
generosity.
America Japanese Garden Association
And it just doesn’t get any better. All
traveling from all over North America tothroughout the year, we were blessed
GJG. They were in awe of our bountiful
with donations for the remodel, andnurseries, gardens, amenities, and mostvendors giving us a break on costs.
of all the volunteers. We showered themWith an all-glass facade, Jim Cardwith our hospitality. On the last day of
and I had been researching a possible
the workshop, the participants helped
solutions to protect the new windows
us build the nobedan that’s part of thethat were going to take up the entire
facade. We weighed ideas from a metal entry garden you see today.
And now it’s December, and yes we are
security roll door to custom-madecompiling our bucket list for 2024. Stay
shutters. Our first let down came when
tuned.
we did not receive a City of GreshamCommunity grant to fund security doors.

WE’RE FOREVER THANKFUL100+ Women
Advanced Glass Technologie
Architectural Surfaces
Armadas Exterior
Baseline Granite
BeaconBentwood Tree Farm
Bev Carlon
Bill Proppe
Budget Blinds East
Carol Cherin
Cassie FisherCamp’s Lumber
City of Gresham
Darlene Lengacher
Diana Colvin
Edward Jones, Christina Price
Edward Jones, Dino Rocha
Francheska Snyder
Gresham Heating and Air Conditioning
Gresham Ford
Home Depot
Jan and Gary Rankin
Jerry Sunday
Jim Elmore
Joan Albertson
Ikebana Intl Portland - Chapter #47
Lincoln Proud
Maria Gorostiaga
Mary Dickson
Maryann & Jim Buck
MIlgard Windows & Door
Mt Hood Tax and Accounting
Oregon Deck and Remodeling
Orient Electric
Pinnacle Contractors
Portland NurseryRiverview Bank - Gresham
Rodger Flint
Richard M. Schulze Family Foundation
Sherwin Williams - Gresham
Simpsom Strong Tie
Villa Garden ClubCassie Fisher

Arigatou to a Successful Yearby Mary Marrs

A

selftaught
artist,Cassie Fisher
entices theviewer into
her artwork.
And in themural shecreated for
Cassie Fisher, muralist
the GJG’s
Kyoudou
Center, she does just that. Her solitarycrane standing in the foreground seems
to beckon the observer to be part of theancient pine trees, peaceful river, andsoft mountains.
“I like to find the magic in my paintings,”
Cassie says, “and nature is magic to me.”by Sue Protz

T

Commissioned to paint the interiormural as part of the Center’s renovation,
Cassie said that she worked with Garden
Director Jim Card and Activities Director
Sue Protz to develop their ideas. Thenwith rough sketches, she suggested
the simplicity of just one red-headed
crane gazing into the distant misty cliffs.
Through color and depth, the muralinvites the observer to step into theserenity of the landscape alongside thecrane.
Originally, Cassie couldn’t imagine
making a living as an artist even thoughtalent runs in her family. It wasn’t until
she won a high school contest and her

artwork displayed in the White House
that she realized she could.
When she started her business in
2012, one of her first commissions waswith the Portland Ronald McDonald
House. Using Northwest themes, she
painted rooms and hallways withevergreen forests, ocean beaches,
sagebrush plains, Mt Hood, andmany of the iconic animals of thoselandscapes.
It was her talent and passion for
nature that got her recommended
to the Garden. While painting theCenter’s mural, she got to experience
the joy and passion of other Garden
volunteers. She said their interaction
was beautiful, and after being treatedto a plateful of cookies, she said, “Theyare the nicest volunteers!”

Peace and Harmony

Wreath Making Workshop

Thanks to a City of Gresham cultural grantawarded to the Gresham Butte Neighborhood Association, the City of Gresham andthe Gresham Japanese Garden are stewardsof another Rip Caswell bronze sculpture.
‘Koi in Harmony’ is a beautiful piece ofwork that found a home in the Hiroshima
Peace Tree garden. A dedication took placein 2021.

A sold out crowd attended the wreath making holiday event, raising $2,500 for Snowcap Charities.
GJG co-hosted the event with Burns Feed
Store. All the wreath material was suppliedby friends and neighbors. Sue Protz says, “It’sgreat to live in the PNW where the variety ofplant material is so plentiful to choose from.”“I like to find the magic in mypaintings,” Cassie says, “andnature is magic to me.”GARDEN TIPS
December is the best time to complete
pruning of larger tree limbs before muchcolder weather occurs. Once leaves havefallen you can remove sucker branchesfrom fruit or flowering trees.
I hope you and your garden flourishedafter you read two years of “Garden Tips.”
It’s time to pass the baton. Starting In
January, ‘Garden Tips’ is being replacedwith ‘Haiko Corner’Thank you for sharing your time with me.
— Jim Buck, Garden Volunteer
and Organic GardenerNot receiving the grant just propelled
he Gresham Japanese Garden
Jim and me more to figure out a costhas much to be thankful for.
effective AND aesthetic solution. Then,In the space of nine months
out of the blue as we’re talking to Jodie
in 2023, from funding to completion,
at Budget Blinds, she says, “Oh, I know
we transformed GJG’s trailer into aJapanese-inspired architectural building. a guy who installs a protective film on
We ended 2022 with a capital campaign windows.” Boost #10. Advanced Film
Technologies were lined up to install theraising $25,000 through an auction,
protective film on the windows withinsponsorships and donations. It was aa week of the window install. This was
nice boost of confidence moving into
all happening too when the downtown
the new year.
In the months of January and February Gresham establishments got theirwindows smashed.
when weather was bad, we replaced
two windows in the back of the building Spring and summer brought great
weather. GJG hired a contractor to build
and ripped out the drop ceiling. With
the wrap-around overhang. And thethe help of our first partner, Gresham
Heating and Air Conditioning, we were deck was completed by a hard working,detail-oriented group of volunteers,able to replace the air duct system in anow, vaulted ceiling. Not having a dated saving us more money. The building wascompleted by the end of August. We
drop ceiling opened our eyes to thewere ahead of schedule.
possibilities ahead.
You see, way back in 2022 we madeAfter a successful raffle raising $6000,
a commitment to the North America
we received our first big win. Milgard
Windows and Doors awarded our request Japanese Garden Association to hostfor over $12,000 worth of product­­— the one of their regional workshops. We
two 12’ sliders and the 6’ moon window. chose Sept 21-24, 2023, giving us
nine months in 2023 to complete the
By April, we were almost done withremodel.
the interior of the Kyoudou Center. An
Everything continued to fall into place.
all-volunteer group completed all the
drywall, taping, painting, etc., saving us We even added a project in September,building a retaining wall for the City ina lot of money. Orient Electric donatedthe back of the Kyoudou Center.
all their services, making us incredibly
The last big highlight of our year
fortunate to be deserving of theirwas hosting 35 members from North
generosity.
America Japanese Garden Association
And it just doesn’t get any better. All
traveling from all over North America tothroughout the year, we were blessed
GJG. They were in awe of our bountiful
with donations for the remodel, andnurseries, gardens, amenities, and mostvendors giving us a break on costs.
of all the volunteers. We showered themWith an all-glass facade, Jim Cardwith our hospitality. On the last day of
and I had been researching a possible
the workshop, the participants helped
solutions to protect the new windows
us build the nobedan that’s part of thethat were going to take up the entire
facade. We weighed ideas from a metal entry garden you see today.
And now it’s December, and yes we are
security roll door to custom-madecompiling our bucket list for 2024. Stay
shutters. Our first let down came when
tuned.
we did not receive a City of GreshamCommunity grant to fund security doors.

WE’RE FOREVER THANKFUL100+ Women
Advanced Glass Technologie
Architectural Surfaces
Armadas Exterior
Baseline Granite
BeaconBentwood Tree Farm
Bev Carlon
Bill Proppe
Budget Blinds East
Carol Cherin
Cassie FisherCamp’s Lumber
City of Gresham
Darlene Lengacher
Diana Colvin
Edward Jones, Christina Price
Edward Jones, Dino Rocha
Francheska Snyder
Gresham Heating and Air Conditioning
Gresham Ford
Home Depot
Jan and Gary Rankin
Jerry Sunday
Jim Elmore
Joan Albertson
Ikebana Intl Portland - Chapter #47
Lincoln Proud
Maria Gorostiaga
Mary Dickson
Maryann & Jim Buck
MIlgard Windows & Door
Mt Hood Tax and Accounting
Oregon Deck and Remodeling
Orient Electric
Pinnacle Contractors
Portland NurseryRiverview Bank - Gresham
Rodger Flint
Richard M. Schulze Family Foundation
Sherwin Williams - Gresham
Simpsom Strong Tie
Villa Garden ClubWhat Does Aesthetic Pruning Mean?

A

fter a little over a year offering
pruning classes, GJG has beenasked periodically, “what does
aesthetic pruning mean?” It’s a goodquestion since we use the word“aesthetic” a lot in our material. I was
happy to see this question answered
recently in one of our trusted publications, Sukiya Living.
Leslie Buck, an aesthetic tree pruning
specialist, says to imagine paint thrown
on a canvas. Someone has to move thepaint around to develop a picture. Someone has to dust the painting or restore

the painting if it’s neglected. Insteadof working with paint on a canvas, anaesthetic pruner works with three-dimensional living plants. It’s both simple
and complicated at once.
The natural aesthetics of the tree
drives the pruning session. What would
the mature tree or shrub look like innature? How do the branches hang,or stand up? Is it suppose to be tallor wide? What are its most importantfeatures: the bark, leaves, or its overall branching structure? An aesthetic
pruner studies these variables before

December 2023

the pruners are opened. Another variablein consideration is the landscape. Are
other plants crowding the space? Is there
enough sunlight reaching the space?
What is the focal point in the landscape?
An aesthetic pruner trys to creatively
problem solves issues through the threebasic pruning cuts: thinning, reduction,and heading, always keeping the healthof the plant as the priority to create awork of art.

Tsuru Soars
Friends of the Gresham Japanese Garden Newsletter

Pruning Program Classes
Fundamentals of Pruning, on Zoom: Thursday, December 7th, 6:00pm–8:00pm - $20
LINCOLN PROUD, INSTRUCTOR: In addition to how to make cuts and shape plants, Lincoln will discuss why we prune,
what tools should be used, and even some basic plant biology—all of which form the foundation and provide the necessary
background knowledge needed to prune woody plants correctly. After covering these topics, he will describe how toapproach a variety of plants found in landscapes. Zoom courses are recorded and available for two weeks after the course date.

All-day Hands-on Pruning Workshop at Vanport International’s Japanese garden in Boring, OR Saturday, January 6th,10:00am–4:00pm - $100.
The focus of this workshop will be pruning vine maples and upright maples.

Fundamentals of Conifers, on Zoom: Thursday, February 8th, 6:00pm–8:00pm - $20
MARYANN LEWIS, INSTRUCTOR: In the Northwest, we know there is more to conifers than Christmas trees! Learn
fundamental pruning techniques for your favorite conifers including pines, spruce, hinoki and how to interpret cultivars. This
class will help you feel comfortable making pruning decisions so you can enjoy your conifers even more. There will be timeat the end of the course for questions and answers. Zoom courses are recorded and available for two weeks.

Spring Maintenance on Pines: Saturday, May 18th, 12:00pm–2:00pm - $45
LAURA DUFALA, INSTRUCTOR: Learn the niwa method of candling and needling to maintain cloud-prune aesthetics andkeep a manageable size, and aesthetic focal point of your pines in a landscape. This workshop is in person at Tsuru Island,
Gresham Japanese Garden. Bring your pruners. Laura typically turns her classes into an interactive collaborative session.

Pruning Lace-leaf Maples for Character: Saturday, June 22nd, 12:30pm–2:30pm - $45
LINCOLN PROUD, INSTRUCTOR: Many people care for maple trees on their property, especially lace-leaf maples. One of
the most popularf lace-leaf maples is Acer palmatum var. dissectum ‘Crimson Queen’. In this pruning course, Lincoln Proudwill focus on the fundamentals of pruning as it pertains to lace leaf maples. The class will begin with a short lecture on
basic botany and growth habits as it pertains to lace-leaf maples in Gresham Japanese Garden’s newly remodeled Kyoudou
Center. After the lecture students will walk down to the Japanese garden with Proud and learn how pruning fundamentals
are applied to various circumstances of lace-leaf maples on Tsuru Island, and how to apply this information to their own
trees. There will be time at the end for questions and answers.
REGISTER HERE
Volunteer Newsletter Editors: Mary Marrs, Mary Dickson, Mary Taylor, and Sue Protz. Photos by Bill Peterson.

Spread Your Support

As Garden Director Jim Card was
re-birthing Tsuru Island (20112016), he made a promise to not
let Tsuru Island fall into disarray again.
Because Japanese gardens require somuch maintenance, it’s actually quite acommon problem for smaller gardens.
The solution occurred during the development of Ebetsu Plaza. Tomiko Takeuchi loved the idea of a paver pathway,
and Jim was searching for a sustainable
fundraiser to set up an endowment
fund. The answer, the Touchstone Paver
program.
If you’re looking for a unique gift tohonor someone thisholiday season, for$125 you can purchase a 7.5” x 7.5”
custom engraved
paver, where it will
live at Ebetsu Plazain Main City Park.
Thanks to Stamp Connection who donates the engraving, all the proceeds go
into the endowment fund to support future maintenance. Our goal is $100,000.
We’re currently at $36.000.
We make it easy. Download the form,or purchase online. Arigatou.

PHOTOGRAPHER’S VIEW
falling leaves
paint the garden
where are the butterflies- Bill Peterson