Pruning Program

GJG is thrilled to announce its Pruning Program taught by professional aesthetic pruners.

The pruning program is designed for gardeners and landscape professionals interested in pruning for the health of a plant and aesthetics of the plant and landscape, while advancing your pruning and plant knowledge and skills.

Each course focuses on different aspects of pruning in regards to different plant material. See below. Check back often. New courses are added all the time.

Spring Courses

Spring Pruning Hands-on Workshop, Onsite: May 4th, 2024 10am–4pm – $100

This workshop is designed for the intermediate pruner looking to advance their knowledge through experiential learning. Taught by GJG  pruning instructor and owner of Niwa Methods, Francheska Snyder you will prune a variety of plants and trees dependent on the time of year. The workshop will be limited to 12 participants for an optimal experience.

The location is a Japanese garden at Vanport Manufacturing in Boring, Oregon originally designed by Hoichi Kurisu.

Work Site

We are always on the look-out for work sites. Take a look at the site requirements and if you think that you are a good fit, contact us at administrator@greshamjapanesegarden.org.

Spring Maintenance on Pines: Saturday, May 18, 2024: 12pm-2pm: $45

Learn all about the why’s and how’s of candling pines. Also learn about needling to maintain cloud-prune aesthetics and keep your pines at a manageable size, and as a focal point in a landscape. This workshop is in person at Tsuru Island, Gresham Japanese Garden. Wear your gloves. Laura may turn the class into an interactive collaborative session.

Laura Dufala

Laura Dufala has been in the nursery business for over 40 years working with Iseli’s Nursery for five years, and then with a local high-end retail nursery for 25 years. Meanwhile, she and her husband Tom, own and operate a niché cloud-pruned pine tree nursery in Boring, Oregon.

Laura is also experienced in bonsai, and aesthetic pruning of maples and other landscape plant material.

Pruning Lace-leaf Maples for Character: Saturday, June 22, 2024: 12:30pm – 2:30pm

Many people care for maple trees on their property, especially lace-leaf maples. One of the most popular, Acer palmatum var. dissectum ‘Crimson Queen’.

In this pruning course, Lincoln Proud will 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 your own trees.

There will be time at the end for questions and answers.

Lincoln Proud: Instructor

Lincoln has a wide background in horticultural and garden experience that spans many styles and climates. His formal training took place at Longwood Gardens where he completed the Professional Gardener training program. Since then he has studied in Japan and worked at many gardens including the Portland Japanese Garden, a private estate in Texas, as well as the Boyce Thompson Southwest Arboretum and Wallace Desert Garden in Arizona. Most recently Lincoln is involved at Crystal Springs Rhododendron Garden and now the Gresham Japanese Garden.

Hands-on Pruning a Mature Lace Leaf Maple, June 29th, 1pm-2:30pm: $50

For the intermediate pruner. You will have the opportunity to prune beside one of the best pruners in Oregon, Francheska Snyder. On the property of Bateman Carroll in Gresham, OR sits a overgrown, unattended mature lace leaf Acer palmatum. Limited to five students for an optimal pruning experience you will prune with Francheska to transform this lace leaf back to a beautiful focal point on Powell Blvd.

To gain more knowledge, GJG recommends students to participate in Lincoln Proud’s instructional class on pruning lace leaf maples on June 22nd at Tsuru Island. He will teach you a number of techniques and concepts of 2-3 mature lace leafs maples on the property of GJG’s. https://www.greshamjapanesegarden.org/calendar/pruning-lace-leaf-maples-for-character/

Francheska Snyder

Originally from Pennsylvania, Francheska Snyder is the current owner/operator of Niwa Method, a landscape contracting business specializing in Japanese gardens in the Portland area. She has previously worked in public non-profit gardens such as the Portland Japanese Garden, Shofuso Japanese House and Garden, and Wyck Historic House and Garden. She has participated in work-study opportunities assisting Japanese garden builds across the United States, in Italy, and in various regions of Japan. Francheska earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Biochemistry from Rochester Institute of Technology in 2009. She holds a certificate in Ornamental Horticulture from Longwood Gardens, a 3rd Term Master Level certificate from the Ohara School of Ikebana and is a recognized Chanticleer Scholar. She also uses her time and talent on the board of Leach Botanical Garden, and consulting and teaching for the Gresham Japanese Garden.

Workshop Cancellation Policy

We do not issue refunds on workshop registrations. 

If you register for a workshop and later become unable to attend, we will gladly offer a credit for your registration amount to use toward any future event if you notify us at least 24 hours before the workshop.

To cancel and request a credit, please email us at administrator@greshamjapanesegarden.com. Workshop credits are not redeemable for cash. Please note: Credits cannot be given for registrations for workshops hosted by visiting/out of town instructors. Due to the nature of these one-time-only workshops, all events hosted by special guests are subject to this policy. Thank you for understanding!

In the event a class is cancelled or rescheduled due to inclement weather, or any incident where GJG or its instructors are at fault, you will receive a credit to take another class at a later date.

About Our Policy

Our workshops require a great deal of pre-planning, including ordering supplies and tools, booking staff, and making commitments to pay our instructors — all based on the number of students who register. In fairness to all of our customers we are unable to make exceptions to our policy, including for reasons of illness, travel, or work hours. If you are unable to attend a workshop at the last minute, we suggest giving your spot to a friend!

Thank you for understanding!

The GJG Team