Gresham Japanese Garden

Spring Pruning at Vanport International
2025-05-10 10:00 - 16:00 (America/Los_Angeles) | Vanport International, 28590 Wally Road, Boring, OR, 97009, United States
For the intermediate pruners, a hands-on opportunity to prune a variely of plants at a Japanese garden in Boring, OR to learn alongside a professional aesthetic pruner trained in Japan and owns her own business, Niwa Method.
This is the Gresham Japanese Garden’s fourth opportunity to prune at Vanport International. There are still many plants that need to be pruned and brought back to the vision the original garden designer Hoichi Kurisu.

Hands on Pruning a Japanese Garden - Summer-25
2025-09-06 10:00 - 16:00 | Vanport International, 28590 Wally Road, Boring, OR, 97009, United States
For the intermediate pruners, a hands-on opportunity to prune a variety of plants at a Japanese garden in Boring, OR, learning alongside Francheska Snyder, a professional ornamental pruner. This workshop will focus on vine maples and upright Acer palmatums. You must be comfortable on tall ladders.
The Gresham Japanese Garden’s prune the Japanese garden at Vanport International three times a year. There are many shrubs and trees that need restored to their intended size and brought back to the vision of the original garden designer, Hoichi Kurisu.
This workshop is certified by the Oregon Landscape Contractors Board. Licensed landscape construction professionals receive five Continuing Education Hours (CEH).

Pruning Lace-leaf Maple Trees
2025-11-01 10:00 - 13:00 | Gresham Japanese Garden
This is a hands-on workshop where students will receive pruning techniques, instructions, and personalized feedback as you prune two overgrown lace-leaf maple tree at the Gresham Japanese Garden’s complex.

Pruning Conifers for Health and Aesthetics Course
2025-11-15 13:00 - 15:00 | GJG Tsuru Island, 124 S Main Avenue, Gresham, OR, 97030, United States
Pruning Conifers for Health and Aesthetics course will start on Tsuru Island, GJG’s Japanese garden nestled within Gresham’s Main City Park and home to a diverse collection of conifers including spruces, hinoki, firs, pines, and more.
Limited to 15 students, so register early to reserve your spot!
Workshop Overview
This in-person class is designed to deepen your understanding of conifer pruning through an aesthetic lens. Maryann will guide participants in:

Understanding conifer growth biology and seasonal rhythms
Applying pruning techniques to maintain plant health and desired size
Enhancing landscape aesthetics through thoughtful pruning
Recognizing and preserving the natural form of various conifer species

Whether you’re a home gardener or a landscape professional, this workshop offers valuable insights into the art and science of conifer pruning.

Structural Pruning Pines
2025-11-16 13:00 - 15:00 | GJG Tsuru Island, 124 S Main Avenue, Gresham, OR, 97030, United States
Watch instructor, Laura Dufala unlock the hidden character of pine trees through strructural pine pruning. She’s captivating to watch her approach to cloud pruning, and through her artistic eyes make decisions regarding which branches to keep and which ones to remove. She has a tendency to turn the class into a hands-on practicum, so bring gloves and sanitized pruners.
The class will take place at the Gresham Japanese Garden. We will meet in front of the Mural garden/Barn.

Pruning Fruit Trees
2026-02-15 12:00 - 14:00 | Kyoudou Center, 219 S. Main Avenue, Gresham, OR, 97080
Late winter is an ideal time to prune fruit trees. Pruning during dormancy helps invigorate growth, removes dead, weak, or crossing branches, and focuses the tree’s energy on fewer, stronger limbs for a healthier structure and better harvest.
Instructor Jonathan Faith will bring an apple tree, pear tree, nectarine tree, and plum tree to discuss their different growth habits and forms, and to demonstrate proper pruning techniques for fruit production. In addition to pruning, Jonathan will cover cross-pollination, fertilizers, and common fungicide and insecticide sprays.
This seminar will take place at the Gresham Japanese Garden’s Kyoudou Center, located at 219A S. Main Avenue, Gresham, OR 97030.
Instructor: Jonathan FaithJonathan comes from a deep background in horticulture. For sixteen years, he helped manage his family’s small orchard in Hubbard, Oregon, working with a wide variety of fruit trees. Jonathan is currently the store manager at Al’s Garden & Home in Gresham.
