Winter Pruning Japanese Garden at Vanport Int'l
2025-01-11 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 variety of plants at a Japanese garden in Boring, OR, learning alongside Francheska Snyder, a professional aesthetic pruner trained in Japan who owns her own business, Niwa Method. This will be the Gresham Japanese Garden’s 6th opportunity to prune at Vanport International. There are still many plants that need restored to their size and brought back to the vision of the original garden designer, Hoichi Kurisu.

Introduction to Ikebana - Jan25
2025-01-14 13:00 - 15:00 | Kyoudou Center, 219 S. Main Avenue, Gresham, OR, 97080
What to Expect in the Workshop
In this workshop, instructor Nana Bellerud covers the basic concept, techniques, tools and equipment, and plant care for ikebana. Participants will practice a basic style arrangement within the rules of the Sogetsu School of Ikebana. Beyond simply producing a beautiful work of art with flowers and natural objects, instructor Nana Bellerud will show you how ikebana explores artistic concepts such as balance, contrast, and negative space.
Supplies and tools are onsite to borrow for the workshop. After you’ve worked on your arrangement, you are encouraged to take a photo and then you will dismantle your work. The plant material is yours to take. If you wish to take your creation home in one piece, or are interested in practicing ikebana further, please consider purchasing a kensan and container at the workshop.
Class will be held in the Gresham Japanese Garden’s Kyoudou Center, 219A S. Main Avenue, Gresham, OR 97030. The building is located at the south end of Main City Park in Gresham, OR. It is the last building closest to the Springwater Trail. There is a parking lot adjacent to the building.

Kensan + Container – $25
In ikebana, the two accessories used is a kensan, or some people say pin frog, and a container. For basic arrangements a shallow container is appropriate. Because ikebana is a practiced art, owning these accessories is a must to further your practice.
Also, if you’d like to preserve the arrangement you created at the workshop, these accessories are available for purchase at the workshop. $25 includes both. Only cash or check. NOTE: The cost of the workshop includes the use of the instructor’s kensan and container.

2025 The Art of Bonsai - Jan Thursday
2025-01-16 13:00 - 15:00 | Kyoudou Center, 219 S. Main Avenue, Gresham, OR, 97080
The Art of Bonsai embodies the Japanese spirit with philosophy and aesthetics harmonizing and complimenting each other. Bonsai is more than just an art form – it is a way of life and thinking; a way of cultivating patience, nobility, and sympathy – and this is the reason why bonsai is important for Japanese culture. Therefore, to understand bonsai, you must learn and understand each of its core values ​​in order to experience it with a calm and open mind.
Explore Gresham Japanese Garden’s Art of Bonsai workshop with Mark Vossbrink. Each month will be a different project in creating your own bonsai. The $40.00 cost includes all materials. A show and tell is part of the workshop, so feel free to bring one of your pieces from home.
Please bring your own pruners or snippers.
Cost: $40 per class
2024 Dates: Third Thursday or third Saturday of the month. Project is repeated.
Time: 1pm – 3pm
Place: The Gresham Japanese Garden’s Kyoudou Center, the building at the south end of Main City Park. There is a parking lot near the building.

2025 The Art of Bonsai - Jan Saturday
2025-01-18 13:00 - 15:00 | Kyoudou Center, 219 S. Main Avenue, Gresham, OR, 97080

Pruning Fruit Trees
2025-01-25 13:00 - 15:00 | Kyoudou Center, 219 S. Main Avenue, Gresham, OR, 97080
Late winter pruning is a good time to prune fruit trees because of dormancy and invigorates growth; removes dead, weak, or crossing branches, focusing energy on fewer, stronger branches for a better harvest. Instructor Jonathan Faith will bring an apple tree, pear tree, nectarine tree, and a plum tree to demonstrate how to prune each for fruit production.
In addition to demonstrating how to prune each variety of fruit tree, Jonathan will discuss cross pollination, fertilizers, fungicide and insecticide sprays.
This seminar will take place in the Gresham Japanese Garden’s Kyoudou Center at 219A S. Main Avenue, Gresham, OR 97030
Instructor: Jonathan Faith
Jonathan come from a deep history of being around a copious array of plants. For sixteen years, Faith helped manage his family’s small orchard in Hubbard, Oregon. They had many different varieties of fruit trees.
Jonathan is currently the store manager at Al’s Garden & Home in Gresham.
