The West Chicago Garden Club

We are “on it” this year, starting our Wednesday Workdays in the Kruse Garden on April 1st. It’s so different this year since we’re not pulled to Plant Sale activities. Who would have guessed that we’d be in the middle of a corona virus pandemic this Spring, which created the need to cancel our favorite activity, the Plant Sale! It does offer more time to devote to the Kruse Garden and if you have plants that won’t hold until next year the Kruse Garden is always in need of plants. Contact Billie if you have donations.

We had some nice weather in March so we got some badly needed lilac bush pruning done. They look odd but it’s the beginning of a process….a third each year. And the garden as a whole has been pretty much cleaned up. We piled the branches and all the debris on the driveway. We had BIG PILES! Chuck Strayve, the guy who mows the lawn all year for free, came and hauled it all away…..no charge! We are so very grateful to those that help us out! Thank you Mr Strayve!

We have a tree and some plants on order from Wasco Nursery. The goods will arrive in May and we are very excited especially about the tree. It’s an American Hornbeam (carpinus Caroliniana) and we staked out its spot up front.

I hope you all take the opportunity to walk around the garden this Spring. It’s an acceptable activity while you’re social distancing. The grape hyacinths are in bloom and those 200 “shades of pink” tulips we planted last fall aren’t far off. Make a trip every week or two. There’s always something interesting. And your suggestions are always welcome….help too. Enjoy Spring in our garden and yours too!

If you want to join the Kruse House crew this year, regular work days are Wednesdays from 9:00 a.m. to noon, though adjustable to fit your schedule. Contact Billie Childress or Kerry Perry or email WestChicagoGardenClub@gmail.com and the message will be forwarded to both of them.

Johnny Jump-up, first bloom of Spring

It’s only March 1st, and the official start of spring still three weeks away, but Spring has already sprung in the Kruse House garden. With the mild winter, some warm days, and plenty of precipitation, Mother Nature is not bothering to wait for the equinox, but is already pushing tender shoots above the soil.

In the front flower bed immediately to the east of the house, clusters of daffodil spears are debuting, as are the solitary heads of hyacinths in the beds around the sides. Brushing away the cover of leaves in many places reveals profusions of tiny green and silvery-white leaves of lamium. The vinca vine, which never loses its leaves in the winter, already has its summery dark green. Even the first bloom of 2020 has appeared–a small blossom on a Johnny Jump-up that survived winter in one of the front urns!

Nature’s early start has meant that the Kruse House gardeners have already begun their work. On March 3rd Billie, Kerry, and Linas spent a good part of the day cutting away the dead lilac branches. Projects for the year include repairing and painting the back fence, planting a new tree in the front, and adding several structural plantings to the beds. If you want to join the Kruse House crew this year, regular work days are Wednesdays from 9:00 a.m. to noon, though adjustable to fit your schedule. Work days at the house will start April 1, 2020. Contact Billie Childress or Kerry Perry or email  WestChicagoGardenClub@gmail.com and the message will be forwarded to both of them.

By Barbara Darrah

I’m sitting in front of a cheerful fire, a glass of wine in my hand, a dozing cat on my lap and my best friend at my side. I look out the window, past the bird feeders, at the winter remnants of our garden. I am not saddened by this barren view because I am taking this time, like the garden itself, to pull my roots back down into myself and let my imagination kindle thoughts of the coming spring and summer. Should we plant something new? Should we cut back an overgrown bush? We all dream of getting out there in the warm sun and getting our hands dirty once again.

I think it would be hard to be a gardener if you couldn’t have this chance to settle into the warmth of this winter hibernation. We need this time to contemplate the bare bones of our surroundings and picture the changes that we can make to enhance this small part of the world that we call our own.

Of course, those of us who volunteer at Kruse House are imagining our “second” garden as well. We are always thinking of ways to improve it without forgetting our ultimate goal of keeping its maintenance low. It’s actually fun to get together for a few hours on a Wednesday morning. We would love to have any of you who occasionally can spare an hour or so to come and join us. Or if you want to stop by any time and pull a weed or two – Welcome.

In the meantime , we can all revel in good food, warm fires and the pleasure of the crisp winter air and dream about the coming spring.