Master Gardeners renovate Japanese Peace Garden

MOSES LAKE — Moses Lake Parks Maintenance Supervisor Bill Aukett recently partnered with the WSU Extension Grant-Adams Master Gardeners to help organize a volunteer work party to provide some needed maintenance at the Japanese Peace Garden in Moses Lake. 

Mark Amara coordinated with Bill Aukett to schedule time for Master Gardeners, Kiwanians, and members of the Japanese community to help.  Louis Logan, a Kiwanis representative, Jeremy Blackwell, Shusuke Waki, Rena Kawanishi, Jimmy Yamamoto, Joel Bodenman and Master Gardeners Bobbie Bodenman and Mark Amara provided valuable volunteer work time. The event was held Oct. 17 and was preceded by an orientation and introduction to the project. Gloves were provided for all and tools were distributed.

Goals were to remove invasive vegetation and protect trees from beavers which have decimated some trees. Besides tackling invasive weeds and beaver proofing trees, there was light pruning, cutting and pulling up suckers from various plants like clematis and maple, removing Russian olive trees and Siberian elms in the garden proper, and minimally removing weeds like horsetail, Virginia creeper, golden rod and salt grass. 

In the preceding two weeks of October, beavers had taken down three large ornamental cherry trees and so it was advantageous that Master Gardeners and others were willing to step in to volunteer time to protect other existing damaged or undamaged trees (and remove invasive weeds). The downed cherry trees were removed and stumps leveled with a chainsaw. 

Wire cages were built by encircling trees three feet high with 14-gauge welded wire that was cut specifically for each tree. Steel rebar was pounded through the wire cages to anchor them in two places around each of nine trees to prevent further beaver damage. In the past the city had used electric fence and trapping to control beaver damage but those options had not been used recently.

After the event, 10 large plastic bags were filled with weeds, trimmed materials, and a mountain of piled brush, Russian olive and elm tree cuttings were ready to be hauled away. 

The garden was established by the City of Moses Lake, the Japanese community, and representatives of Yonezawa, Japan, their sister city. That happened in 2005, though planning for it began as early as 1988. The garden was designed as a traditional tranquil garden and was the culmination of years of collaboration, donations, and cultural exchanges. The garden represents a symbol of friendship between Moses Lake and Yonezawa with a long community effort that is decades long. The garden features a Torii gate, waterfalls and other water features like fountains and a creek, tea lanterns, sculptures and statues, bridges, plantings, paths, benches and grass set into the serene landscape. It is a truly unique feature in Moses Lake and one that seems to draw visitors from near and far to this seasonally open feature.

Plans are to hold additional vegetation management work parties in the new year to do additional weeding, though some persistent weeds like horsetail and Russian olive may require pesticide treatments by city staff. Beaver-proofing additional trees is a definite possibility. Maintaining water quality is an issue and decisions need to be made about what to use to prevent algae buildup. Planting desirable vegetation in areas where mortality has occurred is being considered and will try to coincide with planting plans in the original design. Other cosmetic features like regraveling paths after reapplying filter fabric, cutting back brush that has grown over paths and removing dead woody vegetation are possible planned actions that are being prioritized. Additional work also includes repainting the Torii gate, entry bridge, and steps that cross water features. The Master Gardeners and others are willing to help where their skills are most needed, can provide planting recommendations, diagnose plant challenges, and provide invasive species controls.

Mark Amara is a member of the WSU Extension Grant-Adams Master Gardeners.

    Joel Bodenman levels stumps with a chainsaw.
  

    Shusuke Waki installs wire cage on a tree in the Japanese Peace Garden.