Editor: James Card

Tai ChiHave you ever mentioned something to a person andthey light up like it’s Christmas morning? That’s
what happens when some people hear about Tai
Chi. It also inspires one to get excited about theprogram.
A Tia Chi program will be started at Main City Parkand Tsuru Island on Tuesdays and Thursdays from11:30 am to 12:30 pm. The program may be
expanded to evening classes as well.
Severaloptions are available for payment (single session,weekly sessions and monthly sessions). The classes
will take place on the lawn area in front of theResource Center and inside due to weather.

Do not go where the path may lead, go insteadwhere there is no path and leave a trail.
(Ralph Waldo Emerson)

Tai Chi originated in China and is a trained art inall parts of the world. There are several versions ofthe art and several different names depending on
what part of the country or world you are in. Some
Tai Chi may include types of martial art. Tia Chi isa martial art with special clothing and sometimes
using swords.
The Tai Chi at the garden will be exploring exercise,
movement and focused energy to improve the bodyand concentration. Sessions are an hour long andcan be done in any type of clothing.
Classes will be taught by Liz Kitsoulis of SandyOregon.
The first 2 classes attended will be free of charge.
Fees will be collected after the second class.
Send Questions and/or Comments to:
gresham.japanese.garden@gmail.com

Issue #18 | June 2017

Things turn out best for thepeople who make the bestof the way things turn out(John R Wooden)

If you have been on a Garden tour you have been
told about the "ocean" at the southwest corner of theGarden. Originally it was designed to represent theocean. The river rock came from the original garden
paths. The rocks were intended to represent thewater and Black Pine as part of the island. Wendy
stated that she had enough of the moles boring
underneath and creating piles of dirt between therock. With that, all the round rock was removed andpiled around the perimeter, opening the middle
section so that it could be smoothed and covered
with weed barrier. Eventually the stone would beplaced back the way that it had been.
Mary Ann Lewis (Aesthetic Pruners Association),
Justine Blackwell (Portland Japanese Garden) andJim Card were at the park recently and started
talking about a redesign plan for the ocean area.
There will be a rustic stone sections that has tiers
representing cliffs at the edge of the ocean. Abovethe cliffs will be the island that contains the blackpine, Hino crimson azalea and a newly planted black
locust. Below the cliffs will be a black and white(salt and pepper) crushed stone (sand) that can be
raked and easily cleaned of the leaves and cedar
needles. With the proper raking, we will be able tocreate tides in the sand going into the cliffs. Beyond
the island the juniper will be trimmed so that it
creates a back drop of green beyond the shoreline.
Additional azaleas will be included for the west
perimeter to screen the slope that begins under thejuniper. The river rock that was in the area before
will be spread in the stream bed and some aroundthe scene itself.
The completed project was a showcase for Father’s
Day and the Chamber Event noted in last month's
newsletter.

Issue #18 | June 2017

By James Card

Two of my favorite plant are conifers andrhododendrons. I have utilized them together inmany landscape designs over the years.
We are very lucky here in the northwest to havethe right climate and soil conditions for thesediverse and hardy plants. History has been madein our area with the propagation of many varietiesof Rhododendrons due to the American
Rhododendron Society located in Portland.
Pioneering rhododendron family owned nurseries
are decreasing due to the lack of interest by thenext generation and/or land being sold todevelopers for housing.
Because these diverse plants became one of myfavorite plants to install, I became acquainted withseveral growers in the area. I had the opportunity
to ride around the acres of land seeing firsthandthe dozens of color combinations blooming fromlate February until August. Some of these growers
have received test plants by hobbyist growers fromall over the world. The local grower put the plant
into production and provide feedback to the senderabout the performance of the plant including theleaves, blooms and general ability of the plant ascompared to other proven varieties.
The varieties include dozens of leaf shapes, shrub
size, blooms of every shade and size that one canimagine. Most of these varieties like some shadeduring the day, while others may do just fine evenin a south side sun.
Since Rhododendrons have so many leaf shapes
and textures available, different varieties can beplanted in the same setting. Bloom times can vary

Issue #18 | June 2017as well. I have made my own personal chart ofbloom times for some of my favorite
Rhododendrons that normally bloom for 2-4 weeks.
These groups provide color over several months.
Rhododendrons also come in several size
categories, plants that can sit in the palm of yourhand to those that can grow beyond the gutter lineof your house. These plants will always do what
you want if you take the time to prune them.
If a plant gets too big and it needs to be reduced, it
is recommended that you do so over a two to threeyear period to minimize stress. I have taken plants
all the way to the ground and had them come backand become a very good plant that can be
maintained to the space that it was originallyintended. There are dormant nodes located underthe bark that are ready to produce new growth. Itis important to think about where the energy isdirected in the plant. Notice the two
rhododendrons in the photos attached, have beentaken back to about 12-inches from the ground. It
was done in the wintertime and sheltered amongst
other taller plants. These have come back very
well. The first is a “Unique” and the other is a
“Chionoides” and both had been in the ground over
12 years. All rhododendron should be pruned withhand held tools.
Some Rhododendrons that need little attention are,Anah Kruschke a purple bloom with medium leafthat will withstand just about anything after it isestablished, Unique (cream), Dora Amateis (white),Hotie (yellow), Ramapo (light purple), Elizabeth
Hobbie (red), Chionoides (white), Lem's Storm
cloud (deep red) and Daffinoidies (purple). Each ofthese have a different bloom, leaf style and growthhabit, something for every garden.

Rhododendrons should
be pruned just after
blooming and after thenew growth emerges
from the bud point. By
removing the spentbloom from the plant,
energy is provided to
the leaf system. Some
growers leave the spent
blooms on the plant toreduce the amount ofgrowth the shrub willproduce thus reducing
the maintenance of theplant. If you time the removal of the spent blooms
just right that section will be stiff enough to snap
off easily. Be careful not to eliminate next year's
bud that is at the base of the spent bloom.
There are some basic guidelines for planting andfertilizing rhododendrons. Try to plant with someshade. Mulch is key in retaining moisture andinsulates the root zone during the winter months.
Too wet or too dry will create stress on any plant
and with the rhododendron too wet will create rootrot. The plant will let you know if fertilizer is needed,by signs such as poor leaf color and minimal growth.
A fertilizer for acidic loving plants is necessary andI suggest only apply about 1/2 the manufacturer'sdirections. A small amount frequently is better thana large amount all at once. The photo on previous
page where the leaves are a bit yellow is an example
of a need for fertilizer, specifically containing iron(Fe).

Behind the Scenes: volunteers

Issue #18 | June 2017

byJames Card

Maintenance has much more to do with the big
picture than just mowing and cleaning up along
the edges. It can start with the understanding
about the grass plant and how it will react tocertain situations and the stresses.
Never take away more than what you are leaving
when mowing. Take a look at the height of thegrass plants and raise the mower so that too muchis not taken off. In two or three days go back andadjust the mower and mow again. If the lawn istaken down too short, the grass looks pale andyellow. This is an indication that the sun did not
get to the base of the grass plants because it got
too long. Fertilizing a little bit more often is better
than a whole bunch at once. Do not wait too longbetween applications or you will lose your overlap
time. I am not referring to the wheel tracks of the
spreader if you use that type, but rather thefrequency that you apply the fertilizer. Fertilizer
like other pesticides should be used as the label
recommends. More is NOT better. When buying
fertilizer remember that just like the seed, you getwhat you pay for. Each of the elements will provide
an outcome different from the others. Look at thecontents and how much (filler) is in the bag, alongwith the percentage of the main three chemicals (N,P, K,) check with the distributor to see whichelement applies to your needs. I suggest NEVER
using a "weed and feed" product. Not only are thecontents bad for the stream systems but also will
stress the grass plants. It will not only kill theintended weeds but will push the grass to growquickly, which puts a stress on the plant, unlike
the slow release approach. An application offertilizer in spring will increase the growth of thelawn plants along with the rains. The lawn grows
quickly and is wonderfully green and causes thehomeowner to mow more frequently. However,this application is not necessary. The fast responseof the grass plants tends to be a stressor. The lawn
will grow and green up naturally, just not as fast.
Granular (slow release) fertilizer is the best value
and will last much longer with slower effects on thegrass than liquid products.

Lawn maintenance cont.

Always remove your shoes after
fertilizing or walking in the grass
when entering the house, YOUWILL TRACK THE FERTILIZERINDOORS. Purchase a productthat has about 3% of iron in thecontent of the mix. Be aware thatsome iron products can leave arust stain on concrete and cement
when mixed with water. Be sure
to ask which product causes thisdamage. When cleaning fertilizer
off sidewalks or driveway use abroom or blower, no water.
Most people tend to overwater thelawn. Too much water is a badthing, not only for the grass but
for the water bill. The lawn undera tree will sometimes lookdifferent. The grass plants aregoing to need food, water andconsistency to do well. The tree
and the lawn are competing. If thetree blocks the sun from the grass
below it, the grass will become
thin, infiltrated with moss and ingeneral stressed. Rain does notreach the ground and/or the roots
are taking up the moisture leaving
the lawn dry. Tree debris cannot
be left to sit for very long,especially on a new lawn. Killingthe moss in a shaded area is aconstant. The combination of lesssun, more shade, acidity andlocation, all play a part to thecondition.
Sometimes
anapplication of Lime may help.
The tools used to cut and trim thelawn are very important. Most
blades are made of steel and over

Issue #18 | June 2017

time will get dull from constantcuttingandmust
beresharpened. In a day or so aftermowing the lawn may have thislittle tan cast due to the ends ofthe grass blades turning brown.
You may think the lawn is in needof more fertilizer but check theblade first to save on time andexpense. To check if the blade issharp, look at a blade of grass. If
it has a clean cut, the blade isgood. If it looks like the grassblades are shredded it is time tosharpen the mower blades. Sticks
and stones will dull and damage
the blade. One of the mostdangerous things is a cracked
mower blade. It can come apart at
any time and cause serious
damage and/or injury.
It isstandard practice in the lawn careindustry to clean/sharpen andreplace blades every day. As ahome owner, one needs toremember that the sharper theblade the better the cut. If you hit
something, check it out. Keep afile handy to remove dings. Thebalance of the blade is also
critical. If the blade is out ofbalance it will cause wear and tearon the engine shaft.

the old grass clippings it can betracked back into any area of thelawn, yard, or house. It ischaracterized by a pink to red
appearance on the ends of theblade which looks shredded. To
remove “red thread” from thelawn add a small amount of
nitrogen fertilizer to the areas
affected. In about two weeks thelawn should be back to normal.
Washing the mower is especially
important if red thread is
noticed. It will spread from themower blades to other areas of
the yard.
It is important to check theamount of water on lawns andshrubs. Use a screw driver orbulb planting tool to dig down
and see what the moisture is
below the surface. Mow lower inthe spring and fall but raise themower in the summer to help
shade the stems and roots of thegrass. A half inch will make all of
the difference.
Animal urine
spots can be fixed with seedmixes or sod. Ice damage will
recover in the spring. Visit theCity of Gresham website at
greshamoregon.gov/lawncare to
get more information.

Cleanliness of the mower is a bigthing. If the mower is being usedby several people, clover seeds,
moss spores, weed seeds, fungus
and other items can be transferredto the homeowner’s lawn. There isa fungus to be aware of called “redthread”. This fungus is caused by
the clippings sitting in a pile in theyard. Once the fungus grows inPhotos this page, by K.Card