The West Chicago Garden Club

By Dee Soustek

Summer has arrived! The Kruse Garden says goodbye to the beautiful spring display and is getting ready to burst into it’s summer best. The peonies, irises, bridal wreath, columbines, amsonias, alliums and all the spring bulbs are stepping back to make room for the summer bloom’s.

When the Kruse Crew arrives on Wednesday mornings we always tour to see what’s in bloom. Some of what’s blooming; Acanthus spinous/ Spiny Bear’s Breeches it’s just starting a beautiful display. If I had room in my garden, I’d find a spot for it, a dramatic large perennial with towering spires of trumpet shaped flowers.

Another in bloom is the Asclepius Syriaca/Common Milkweed which is an essential plant for the butterfly garden. Their leaves are the only food source for the larvae of the monarch butterfly. I was reading that they suggest trimming 1/3 of your milkweed in mid June as stems begin to flower. Cut another third in
mid July when the previous group has grown back. This allows for fresh buffet for monarch caterpillars and predators are less frequent at immature milkweed. I think we may try this at Kruse.

The Annabelle Hydrangeas are blooming and looking fabulous. They are considered a smooth hydrangea. We prune them down in early Spring. The penstemon, yarrow and rose campion all are blooming. I think you all should stop by and see for yourself as to what’s blooming, because it too much to describe. The Kruse Crew did some winter sowing and the seedlings are starting to take off and we await their blooms. We started a hollyhock bed, mostly started from seed along the east side of the house looking forward to see that mature. Hopefully, we will see a bloom this year.

All are welcome to join the Kruse Crew any Wednesday 9-11:30. Come check out the garden anytime.

By Amanda Skinner

Signs of Spring in the Garden
Some of my favorite spots in the Kruse gardens are the ones that others may not always notice. At this time of year, each corner offers its own quiet beauty, bringing back memories and reminding me how quickly the garden changes from day to day.

The northeast corner is a beautiful shady spot that reminds me of nature walks as a child in Indiana. Hosta, Jacob’s Ladder, white bleeding heart, trillium, and mayapples grow there, creating a woodland feel. Mayapples prefer the same soil conditions as morel mushrooms and seeing them always reminds me that it is the start of morel hunting season.

The east side of the garden feels like a fairytale cottage garden. Lined with lilacs and bridal wreath spirea, it seems to block out the happenings beyond the yard. Naturalized perennial cornflower, allium, hosta, iris, and snow on the mountain add to the charm, making this area feel especially peaceful and serene.

At the entrance of Kruse House, the bridal wreath spirea is in full bloom. The bushes are perfectly placed, highlighting both their beauty and the stairs of the house. I have also noticed the sprouts from the winter sowing projects beginning to emerge, and I’ve been watching them closely as I make my visits to feed our Kruse House cat.

Milkweed is coming along nicely amidst the native bluestar blooms. Soon, monarchs will have plenty of plants as they make their way to our area. Pollinators of all kinds will also find many choices, with blooms opening on perennial cornflower, violets, lilies, roses, wild geranium, and peonies—the state flower of Indiana. Just as in our own yards, it seems a new flower opens each day, offering another sign that spring is fully underway.

As always you are welcome to walk around the garden any day of the week. There is parking behind the garage.  You are also welcome to help garden with our wonderful Kruse crew on Wednesdays from 9 to 11:30am. You do not need to commit to coming every week – just stop by and join the fun.

By Mary Anderson

“April is the cruelest month.”

I had always heard this quote and thought it referred to April’s fickle weather, especially the prospect of snow showers right when you thought we just couldn’t get any more. But I found out T.S. Eliot was way darker—he was writing about a character in his poem who was so melancholy and despondent he rejected the rejuvenation that April represents. How could anyone hate a swath of grape hyacinths or a joyful bouquet of daffodils?
Poor man! He really needed a gardener for a friend….

The gardeners at the Kruse house definitely celebrate a new season of growth each year. But cruel April didn’t allow us to get started outside, as our first April date was 38 degrees with gusty winds. So we spent our time in the Kruse house basement winter sowing and preparing for a future day of planting sprouted seeds: zinnias, hollyhocks, coneflowers, alyssum, among others. You can find them soaking up the sun and rain by the back steps at the Kruse house, and later on in various beds where we are confident they will flourish.
The next week we started clean-up. And on our Second-Saturday-of-the-Month Volunteer Day, we continued in earnest. We tackled the Spurge Scourge, trying to get all the underground runners of this particular variety of spurge that is poisonous. We also identified some trees that winter winds battered and we had to cut them down. Power saws! And debris!

2nd Saturday Volunteers

We called the landscaping company that mows at the house and they brought a truck for us to fill up. And we filled it!
So now we’re almost set to get to the fun stuff. We have plans for the border garden, including a hosta hill; we are looking for ideas for the front planters; we are looking forward to Wasco coming to plant the new tulip tree; and we want to add to the fencing along the east side (no Tom Sawyering when we paint it!).

And we are just anticipating seeing the garden in its glory from month to month over the Spring and Summer and Fall, never once considering April’s introduction to Spring as anything except glorious! We’d love to share all this with others, so come by to visit the garden any time.

And something else I learned recently: Being in nature can boost your attention span. The benefits are many! Be inspired to join in.

Tags: Kruse Garden