Japanese Garden Blog
Tree Project Update
February 3rd, 2011
I am pleased to announced that ten of the original Hibaku seeds have now sprouted, seven of which are already several inches tall! Unfortunately, the remainder of the seeds have yet to break ground. Our congratulations to those who were lucky enough see their seeds break ground! Because not all of them sprouted, in spite of all our best efforts, the Tree Project exhibition, which was originally scheduled to be held in June 2011 has been postponed until June 2012.
The challenges we’ve all faced in sprouting our Hibaku seeds pale beside the challenges world leaders face in achieving peace in our world. To all of you who are still tending your seeds faithfully every day, we hear that sometimes it can take a full cycle of the four seasons before seeds will sprout. They may still be viable seeds. We have heard from Hiroshi Sunairi that he is on his way to Japan this winter and will bring back seeds for us to plant in the spring. Anyone who is participating, but hasn’t yet had the joy of seeing their seed sprout is welcome to participate in a second round of plantings. Please email me at: ddurston@japanesegarden.com if you wish to try again this year.
Those of you whose seeds have sprouted—we’d love to see you post photos on this site to encourage the rest of us never to give up. May 2011, the Year of the Rabbit, be a year of peace on earth for all of us.
~ Diane
Category: Tree Project
Tree Project Video
August 12th, 2010
Watch Hiroshi Sunairi’s Tree Project Film, 2010 Featuring Chikara Horiguchi, Tree Doctor, to learn more about how Dr. Horiguchi takes care of the remaining Hibaku trees in Hiroshima.
Category: Uncategorized
Tree Project at the Portland Japanese Garden
July 6th, 2010
Photo: Hiroshi SunairiDuring a recent seed planting workshop with guides, volunteers and friends, the Portland Japanese Garden started a year-long journey toward next year’s Art in the Garden Summer 2011 exhibition with conceptual artist and sculptor Hiroshi Sunairi, who launched the worldwide Tree Project with an exhibition in New York in 2009. Describing this fascinating project, Hiroshi Sunairi says, “The trees that still live from the time of the atomic bombing in Hiroshima are called, Hibaku trees (A-bombed trees). In the winter of 2008, from tree doctor Riki Horiguchi in Hiroshima, I received seeds of Round Leaf Holly, Persimmon, Chinaberry, Firmiana simplex, Japanese Hackberry, Jujube trees that are the second or third generation of Hibaku Trees. I have been giving these seeds to the ones that are interested in planting them both in the US and the world. By sharing these seeds, I would like to share the pleasure of growing plants, especially the plants from Hibaku seeds.”
photo: Heike Edossa
With the planting of more than two dozen of these Hibaku seeds on a recent afternoon in June, the Garden was honored to become a new branch in Mr. Sunairi’s Tree Project. The plants grown from these seeds will be part of a special exhibition by Mr. Sunairi to held at the Garden in June 2011. In the photo at the left, Virginia Harmon, Director of Grounds Maintenance, instructs Mrs. Bernice Brown and Garden volunteer Judith Lancefield in how to plant their Hibaku seeds. At age 101, Mrs. Brown made the two-hour trip from McMinnville to participate in this project. Watch our web site for details of the June 2011 exhibition.
Category: Uncategorized