About

The Merritt College Aesthetic Pruning Club offers a venue for gardeners, arborists, horticulturists, landscape contractors, educators, artists, landscape designers, city planners and people in all walks of life to learn more about proper pruning of trees and shrubs in the urban landscape. Monthly events provide a learning laboratory for beginners and professionals to come together and assist in diverse community projects inlcuding hands-on pruning, instructive workshops, and educational talks.

History

While taking a horticulture class at Merritt College, Dennis Makishima pruned as a term project a Japanese maple in the courtyard on 02/28/1986. About ten curious students watched and asked questions about the procedure; the interest and questions generated from this event continued throughout the year.

The first aesthetic pruning class at the Merritt College Landscape Horticulture Department was a Bonsai basics class taught by Dennis Makishima on 12/06/1986. This class was followed by Bonsai classes on 02/28/1987, 04/25/1987, 02/06/1988 and 03/16/1988. These Bonsai students also expressed an interest in the aesthetic pruning of small, landscape trees.

In order to practice pruning, the group worked on landscape material around the horticulture department, such as maples and evergreen pear trees. The first off-campus project was the pruning of the Japanese Garden at Sunnyside Nursery in Hayward on 06/13/1987.

On 12/08/1987 Oakland Vice Mayor Frank Ogawa contacted Dennis Makishima to ask his help in restoring the Japanese Garden at Lakeside Park, Oakland. Using students from the Bonsai classes and the informal pruning group, Dennis began work on the Japanese Garden on 01/07/1988.

The initial tree pruning was followed by work on 03/09/1988, 06/18/1988 and 07/09/1988. The pruning crew named themselves The Merritt College Bonsai and Japanese Garden Pruning Club.

Some of the founding members were: Michael Alliger, George Dauer, Heidi Hartman, Denise Lea, Dennis Makishima, Marcie Miller, Paul Randall and Keith Young. The first official meeting of the Merritt College Bonsai and Japanese Garden Pruning Club was held at the Horticulture Department on 05/23/1988.

On 04/25/1991, Dennis Makishima and Horticulture Department Chair Tom Branca met to discuss the possibility of a fee based aesthetic tree pruning series to be held at the college. After a few more meetings, the Aesthetic Pruning Series started on 02/20/1993 with Dennis Makishima as the Instructor.

Over the years the Pruning Club has volunteered for many pruning projects throughout Northern California. As the club diversified its pruning efforts (not just Japanese Gardens) the name changed to The Merritt College Aesthetic Pruning Club.

Sample Volunteer Projects

Berkeley Higashi Honganji Buddhist Temple, Berkeley

Berkeley Rose Garden, Berkeley

Berkeley Youth Alternatives Orchard, Berkeley

Bishop O'Dowd High School, Oakland

Buddhist Temple of Alameda, Alameda

Buena Vista United Methodist Church, Alameda

Chaparral House, Berkeley

Cypress House, Assisted Living Facility, Oakland

Domoto Nursery, Hayward

Dunsmuir House, Oakland

El Cerrito City Hall, El Cerrito

El Cerrito Library, El Cerrito

First Christian Science Church, Berkeley

Fresno City College, Fresno

Golden State Bonsai Federation Collection North, Oakland

Green Gulch Monastery, Marin County

Hakone Gardens, Saratoga

Harland Hand Garden, El Cerrito

Heather Farms, Walnut Creek

Ichinose Garden, Hillsborough

Industrial Oasis, Berkeley

Japan Town Peace Plaza, San Francisco

Japanese American Religious and Cultural Center, Concord

Japanese Tea Garden, Golden Gate Park, San Francisco

Knowland Park Zoo, Oakland

Lake Merritt Japanese Garden, Oakland

Lakeside Park Torii Gate Landscape, Oakland

Living Library, San Miguel Child Development Center, San Francisco

Marin Art and Garden Center, Marin County

Merritt College Horticulture Department Gardens, Oakland

Montalvo Arts Center, Saratoga

Park Day School, Oakland

Planting Justice, El Sobrante

Richmond Arts Center, Richmond

Rockridge Library, Oakland

San Francisco Flower and Garden Show, San Mateo

San Francisco Japanese Tea Garden

Shinzen Japanese Garden, Fresno

Sunnyside Nursery Garden, Hayward

White Crane Springs Community Garden, San Francisco