Polk County Living
Polk County itemizer-Observer • May 24, 2017 7A
Build your own Zen rock garden
When Paul Jackson’s son
graduated from high school,
he received an unconven-
tional but welcome gift — six
yards of pea gravel.
“He wanted a Zen rock
garden,” Jackson said. “He
pointed out the place in the
backyard. I said, ‘OK, go build
it.’ So, he did and when he
went off and got married he
left it for us to take care of.”
Jackson and his wife, Bar-
bara, learned to love the
Japanese-style garden and its
tranquility. The maintenance,
which consists of raking the
gravel and watering a few
plants, was minimal. Built in
1994 at the Jackson home in
Anchorage, Alaska, the cou-
ple maintained it until 2013
when they moved to Grants
Pass.
To learn the new plant
palette they’d be working
with in the Rogue River Valley
and develop a new network
of friends, the Jacksons de-
cided to take the Oregon
State University Extension
Service Master Gardener
course. In particular, they
were interested in a low-care,
low-water landscape with
minimal lawn.
“We had two areas being
watered by a sprinkler system
and they were full of moss,”
he said. “I thought, ‘Let’s turn
off the sprinklers, take out
sod and put in a little Zen
garden.’”
The Jacksons’ 3-year-old
garden is a reflection of a
style developed in China in
the fifth through eighth cen-
turies. Influenced by Taoism,
the gardens manifested the
myth about five islands in
the ocean where eight im-
mortals lived in harmony
with nature. The design
caught on in Japan, and in
the Muromachi Period from
1 1 8 5 t o 1 5 7 3 g a rd e n s
evolved to encompass the
Zen style with Buddhist
K YM
P OKORNY
These Polk County groups would welcome individuals
who have time or expertise to volunteer. Organizations
that would like to be added to this list should call 503-623-
2373 or email IOnews@polkio.com.
Your
Garden
monks as the primary de-
signers.
One of six styles of Japan-
ese gardens, which include
the promenade, tea and
pond gardens, the Zen rock
garden represents a minia-
ture and idealized view of na-
ture, Jackson said. Rocks fill
in for mountains and islands;
gravel for water. Following
mythology, the crane and tur-
tle symbols, which signify
longevity, also find their way
into the landscape. Other ele-
ments sometimes — but not
always — include pagodas,
lanterns, Buddha statues,
water features and plants.
In his garden, Jackson
created a middle island with
a lion’s mane Japanese
maple, ajuga, moss and
lithodora. He’s rigged up a
drip system so a hose
doesn’t have to be dragged
across the gravel. Sitting
cross legged in front of the
tree is a Buddha statue.
Other than that, a pagoda
and a seating area where his
wife often sits to enjoy the
sound of birds and some
contemplative time, the gar-
den is simplicity itself.
“There’s something ap-
pealing in the simplicity of
Zen rock gardens,” said Jack-
son. “It has a pleasing effect to
the eye. All Zen gardens are
designed to be asymmetric.
There are no angles or
straight lines. Nature is asym-
metric, too.”
He finds peace in raking
the garden, which is what
Buddhist monks found, too.
They experienced a medita-
tive quality in the minimal-
ism of a Zen garden and by
PHOTO: FLiC.Kr/P/UU1CU1
The elements of a Zen Garden can include, but don't al-
ways, sitting areas for reflection, pagodas, Buddha stat-
ues, rock and plants.
raking the gravel that repre-
sents water.
Jackson, who shares in-
structions to build a Zen
garden, advises keeping it
simple.
“Don’t worry about being
too formal and exact,” he
said. “Make it the way you
want it.”
How to Build a Zen Gar-
den:
Keep things simple when
creating the design;
Lay out area with stakes,
flags or spray paint;
Clear area of grass, rocks,
etc.;
Cover with landscape
cloth;
Build fence if one is in-
cluded in the design;
Determine how much
pea gravel or sand needed;
Determine size and num-
ber of boulders. They
should be different sizes
but of the same material.
Decide where to place
them.
Dig in the bottom third of
the boulders;
Decide where to place
plants, if used. Be sure to
install edging to keep soil
out of gravel;
Run irrigation lines if
needed;
Add any water feature;
Add pea gravel or sand;
Build sitting area if de-
sired;
Place flagstones to sitting
and/or plant areas.
Plants for a Zen Garden:
Heavenly bamboo ;
Real bamboo (consider
clumping bamboo, which
will not run);
Conifers;
Japanese maples;
Mosses;
Sedums;
Other ground covers;
Azaleas, camellias and
rhododendrons.
Zen Rock Garden Rakes:
Rakes for Zen rock gar-
dening can be difficult to
find. If you decide to make
your own, Jackson suggests
using hardwood such as oak
because it will last longer
and have plenty of weight so
you don’t have to force the
tines into the gravel as you
rake. Also, use 1-x-2 lumber
for the tines and set them
approximately 2½ inches
apart to create a nice pattern
in the gravel. Refer to photo
for details.
MI TOWN
It’s really, really hard to
concentrate on any indoor
activity when the sun is a
bright canary yellow and
our collective moods are as
happy as can be. We’re
eager for walks in the com-
munity, enjoying seeing the
butterflies float through the
flowers, and hopeful that
Mother Nature may have fi-
nally decided to bring us a
wonderful gift of sunshine
and fresh air.
—
This coming weekend we
will celebrate Memorial
Day, where we will begin the
summertime season (even
though summer doesn’t ap-
pear on the calendar until
mid-June). It’s that time of
year when we can get the
barbecue set up and ready
for outdoor meals, dig out
the best potato salad and
baked bean recipes (or get
them already prepared, at
our local supermarket deli),
P ATTY
T AYLOR
D UTCHER
Columnist
and put away the heavy
winter coats and sweaters.
It’s been a longer than usual
winter, and we’re all eager to
welcome summertime just
as soon as we can. Time to
enjoy the sounds of screen
doors and laughing neigh-
bor kids and the change of
seasons.
—
There will be celebra-
tions and tributes to those
who have served in our
armed forces. We’ll be flying
Old Glory from the front
porches, and hopefully take
time to remember those
who have given the ulti-
mate sacrifice for our coun-
try’s freedom. The day was
originally called Decoration
Day, when families decorat-
ed the graves of Civil War
soldiers with flowers from
their gardens. On May 5,
1868, Maj. Gen. John A.
Logan declared that Deco-
ration Day should be ob-
served May 30, making May
30, 1868, the first large ob-
servation of the holiday. In
1971, Memorial Day was
declared a national holiday,
to be celebrated the last
weekend of May, to honor
those who died in all Amer-
ican wars.
—
Thanks to all who partici-
pated in the cleanup and
beautification programs in
MI Town this past weekend.
Our streets and yards are
looking better than ever. It
was a busy weekend for
everyone, with farmer’s
markets and local mer-
chants reminding us just
how many good things are
available in the wonderful
communities we are lucky
enough to call home.
—
Our sunnier days offer us
more opportunities to enjoy
so many more outdoor ac-
tivities. Both Independence
and Monmouth parks can
accommodate picnics, fam-
ily gatherings, a comfort-
able outdoor location to
read a book or play a game.
This is a great time of year
to get to know your neigh-
bors and share ideas, make
plans or have a good con-
versation.
—
En joy the upcoming
sunny days and the Memo-
rial Day weekend. Whether
you travel around the block
or to a destination many
miles away, please take care
to drive safely and arrive at
your destination prepared
to have a wonderful time.
PEDEE NEWS
Heidi Russell’s mother,
Linda Hovet, turned things
around for Mother’s Day by
treating Heidi to a beautiful
day of fun and relaxation.
She drove up from Creswell
on Mother’s Day morning
and brought Heidi a Dutch
Bros. coffee before church,
then stole her away after
church to take her to lunch
at PizzAmore in Albany and a
shopping trip, followed by
gelato in Corvallis, then con-
cluded with a shared Face-
Time talk with Heidi’s sister
in Minnesota. The best part
was that Heidi spends all her
time taking care of everyone
else, then someone (her
mom) came and cared for
her. The recent many weeks
have been rather taxing for
her, so this was a timely treat.
—
A RLENE
K OVASH
Columnist
Also, Daniel made Heidi a
huge, sturdy 10-foot long
picnic table for Mother’s Day,
and now they have enough
room for their family around
the table outside and can
host more people. He con-
structed it in one afternoon.
—
Judy Guida and her two
school friends, Theresa Er-
ickson and Carmelita
Shinn, met at Eagle Crest to
celebrate their soon-to-be
60th birthdays and 54-year
friendship. They all met in
VOLUNTEER
OPPORTUNITIES
first grade in Medford, where
they grew up. Carm flew in
from Oklahoma City and
Theresa drove up from Eagle
Point. They hiked up to the
top of Smith Rock, shopped
and lunched in Sisters, and
listened to the music of
Lindy Gravell in the Eagle
Crest lounge.
—
Pete and LaVerne Bennett
have been enjoying the pic-
tures their granddaughter
Amanda has been posting on
Facebook. Amanda and her
husband, Jon Wilson, have
recently been transferred to
Spangdahlem Air Force Base
in Germany, where the view
from their house looks very
much like Oregon. Amanda
is a chaplain’s assistant in the
Air Force, and Jon is with the
military police.
—
Jerry Mentzer drove to
Buena Vista, Georgia, to visit
his son and take a pickup to
him. He lasted four days,
then headed back as he
didn’t like the heat, chiggers,
cockroaches, and rat-
tlesnakes there. He also saw a
tornado while there, plus two
on the way home to good ol’
Oregon. He had lived in
Georgia for eight years sever-
al years ago.
—
Marje Robertson came
home from spending her
winter in Brenda, Ariz. While
there, her sweet dog, a Chi-
huahua named Chica, died.
She was 13, so it was to be
expected, but it’s still so sad
to lose such a beloved pet.
We were all glad to see Marje
doing well, though.
• AArP Foundation Tax-Aide – 503-930-7636
• After DArC — 503-623-9501
• American Cancer Society road to recovery
— 1-800-227-2345
• Arc of Polk County — 541-223-3261
• Ash Creek Arts Center – 971-599-3301
• Central School District — 503-838-0030
• City of Dallas — 503-831-3502
• City of independence — 503-838-1212
• City of Monmouth — 503-751-0145
• Court-Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) of
Polk County inc. — 503-623-8473
• Crime Victims Assistance Program — 503-623-9268
• Dallas Area Chamber of Commerce — 503-623-2564
• Dallas Fire Department — 503-831-3532
• Dallas Food Bank — 503-623-3578
• Dallas Kids, inc. — 503-623-6419
• Dallas Police Department — 503-831-3582
• Dallas Public Library — 503-623-2633
• Dallas retirement Village — 503-623-5581
• Dallas School District — 503-623-5594
• Delbert Hunter Arboretum — 503-623-7359
• Girl Scouts of Southwest Washington and Oregon
— 1-800-338-5248
• Ella Curran Food Bank — 503-838-1276
• Falls City Arts Center — 503-559-6291
• Falls City School District — 503-787-3531
• Family Building Blocks – 503-566-2132, ext. 308.
• Friends of the Dallas Library — 503-623-2633.
• H-2-O — 503-831-4736
HArT (Horses Adaptive riding and Therapy)
— 971-301-4278
• HandsOn Mid-Willamette Valley — 503-363-1651
• Heron Pointe Assisted Living — 503-838-6850
• independence Health and rehabilitation
— 503-838-0001
• independence Public Library — 503-838-1811
• Kings Valley Charter School — 541-929-2134
• Luckiamute Watershed Council — 503-837-0237
• Luckiamute Valley Charter School – 503-623-4837
• Meals on Wheels — 503-838-2084
• Monmouth-independence Chamber of Commerce
— 503-838-4268
• Monmouth-independence yMCA — 503-838-4042
• Monmouth Public Library — 503-838-1932
• northwest Human Services — 503-588-5828
• Oregon Child Development Coalition — 503-838-2745
• OSU Extension Service - Polk County — 503-623-8395
• Perrydale School District — 503-623-2040
• Polk Community Development Corporation
— 503-831-3173
• Polk County Community Emergency response Team
— 503-623-9396
• Polk County Museum — 503-623-6251
• Polk County Public Health — 503-623-8175
• Polk County resource Center — 503-623-8429
• Polk Soil and Water Conservation District
— 503-623-9680
• relief nursery Classroom — 503-566-2132
• SABLE House — 503-623-6703
• SALT (Senior and law enforcement together)
— 503-851-9366
• Salvation Army — 503-798-4783
• SMArT (Start Making A reader Today) — 503-391-8423
• Salem Health West Valley Hospital — 503-623-8301
• Victim Assistance Program-Polk Co. District Attorney’s
Office 503-623-9268 x1444
• Willamette Valley Hospice — 503-588-3600
• WiMPEG Community Access Television – 503-837-0163
PUBLIC NOTICE
The West Valley Housing Authority (WVHA) has
REVISED our Public Housing Annual Plan. The re-
vised version will be available for the public to review
and or provide comment as of May 24, 2017 and can
be obtained from our website at www.wvpha.org or
any of the WVHA offices (main office address listed
below).
Comments on the revised version will be received
up through the public comment review hearing to
take place on July 10, 2017 at 11:00 a.m. at 204 SW
Walnut Ave., Dallas, OR 97338. Written comments on
the plan may be mailed to the attention of Executive
Director, West Valley Housing Authority, 204 SW Wal-
nut Ave., Dallas, OR 97338 or emailed to
wvpha@wvpha.org.
The meeting location is wheel-chair accessible.
Call (503) 623-8387 during business hours if other
accommodations are required.
Matinees are all shows
before 6pm. New pricing for
matinees are: Adult $8.00
Children $7.00 • Senior $7.25
Pricing does not reflect
3D showings.
Friday - Wednesday • May 26 - 31
KING ARTHUR:
LEGEND OF THE SWORD (Digital) (PG13)
(2:00) 7:05
SNATCHED (Digital) (R)
(4:50)
✷ PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN:
DEAD MEN TELL NO TALES (Digital) (PG13) (12:50 1:20 3:45 4:15)
6:40 7:10 9:35
BAYWATCH (Digital) (R)
(1:30 4:10) 6:50
GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY 2 (Digital) (PG13) (12:30 3:30) 6:30
ALIEN: COVENANT (Digital) (R)
(1:20 4:10) 7:00
EVERYTHING, EVERYTHING (PG13)
(12:20 2:40 5:00) 7:20
DIARY OF A WIMPY KID:
THE LONG HAUL (Digital) (PG)
(12:25 2:40 4:55) 7:10
9:55
10:05
9:30
9:30
9:50
9:40
9:25
Thursday • June 1
GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY 2 (Digital) (PG13)
✷ PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN:
(12:30 3:30) 6:30 9:30
DEAD MEN TELL NO TALES (Digital) (PG13) (12:50 1:20 3:45 4:15)
6:40 7:10 9:35
BAYWATCH (Digital) (R)
(1:30 4:10) 6:50
KING ARTHUR:
LEGEND OF THE SWORD (Digital) (PG13)
(2:00)
SNATCHED (Digital) (R)
(4:50)
WONDER WOMAN (Digital) (PG13)
7:00
ALIEN: COVENANT (Digital) (R)
(1:20 4:10) 7:00
EVERYTHING, EVERYTHING (PG13)
(12:20 2:40 5:00) 7:20
DIARY OF A WIMPY KID:
THE LONG HAUL (Digital) (PG)
(12:25 2:40 4:55) 7:10
✷ Starred Attraction. No passes.
10:05
9:30
10:05
9:50
9:40
9:25