The West Chicago Garden Club

 “From December to March, there are for many of us three gardens: the garden outdoors, the garden of pots and bowls in the house, and the garden of the mind’s eye.”
–   Katherine S. Whit

January and February are months for gardeners to dream.  The ‘new year’ of spring is eagerly anticipated but no need, or possibility, of hurrying time so we revel in catalogues, magazines, & books (now-a-days, Internet and seminars too) for pictures and words to stir our imaginations and stimulate our creative juices.  J. Nuese, The Country Garden, 1970, speaks of leafing through catalogues, “half drunk with anticipation”.  And goes on to describe winter as the gardener’s cocktail hour, “just as in the candle-lit dusk of the cocktail hour all men are brilliant and all women beautiful so, in the catalogues, all plants are enchanting, all bloom unceasingly, all are easy to grow, all are suited to your area.  It is one of the happiest of all delusions, putting stars into your eyes and mush into the mental processes.”  No doubt, Cecilia Kruse and her mother and aunts before her, happily lost themselves in the bliss (or scourge) of gardener’s winter dreaming. We carry on the tradition without resistance!

“The flowers of late winter and early spring occupy places in our hearts well out of proportion to their size.”-   Gertrude S. Wister

Eranthis (Winter aconite) is certainly a genus of early flowering plants to which the above would apply.  If you are unfamiliar with this plant, it’s among the first to appear in spring, frost-tolerant and readily able to survive fresh snow cover unharmed. The leaves only expand fully when the bright yellow flowers are nearly finished and the plants last for only 2-3 months before dying down during the late spring. This gem is one that would pair well with the Kruse Garden’s abundant grape hyacinths and dazzle our spring fancies; however, this minor bulb of major joy eludes us to date.  The old books say the best way to acquire the plant is to lift a block of them while in full growth.  Surely (it’s said) you have a friend who can get you started.  Ed Max…do you have a lock on your garden gate?   

“Freezing cold winds, biting chills, and white snow fluffed hills Valentines day, oh how gay! Presidents’ day is coming our way.  February, sweet and small, greatest month of all.” –  Eric Lies, 28 Word Poem for February

Oh yeah, we can think pink for Valentines Day…maybe a cyclamen, and before you know it the Pink Perfection tulips will be popping out.  Oh, we are going to have fun in the garden again this year!

Ever jubilant about gardening…A&B