The West Chicago Garden Club

Now that the plant sale is over Billie, Angie and I are hard at work getting the grounds in order. There is always a lot to do, and even though we try to plan our work, is seems there is never enough time. I have been working at the Kruse House for several years now and I do try to listen to what I’m told. Angie explained to me that when weeding the best way to make sure you are removing a weed and not a valuable plant is to pull on it. And if it comes out of the ground easily, then it is a valuable plant. As much time as I have spent at the Kruse house, I really never looked at the gardens the way a visitor would. So I decided to go to the Kruse House and spend some time there.

So off to the Kruse House I go. The first thing I noticed as I was pulling in was dozens of Memorial Day Poppies. There are orange, red and white ones all waving in the breeze. As Angie can tell you, this is not one of my favorite flowers. I do like them when they are blooming, it’s after they bloom that I have problems with them. Looking in the area of the Poppies, are two beautiful Smoke bushes. This is the first year we have allowed these bushes to “smoke. The colors on this bush are amazing, a kind of a red with dark highlights, really nice. We have these bushes located at two places at the Kruse House and they are all great. Continue Reading »

It was 1998 when West Chicago Historical Society concluded that the Kruse House Museum needed help to restore and maintain the gardens of this Main Street treasure.  Since the Kruse family was avid gardeners back in the day, it seemed that the house wasn’t complete without the garden.  The Museum gardens had lain dormant many years.  Coincidently West Chicago’s once active Garden club had also been lying dormant since the 1970’s.  A couple of insightful historical society members saw the match and the rest, as they say, is history. Continue Reading »

“Here I come, ready or not”. No, it’s not kids at play…it’s the plants as they burst forth with the warm temperatures! Spring cleanup has begun and we realize that plants aren’t the only thing dormant over winter. The muscles (oh my back) and memory (what did we plant there?) also need to reawaken. Votavas Lawn Care can’t come until April because the refuse dump places don’t open before then but April 2nd (weather permitting) we are on schedule.

Of course, the pervasive Grape Hyacinths standout this time of year and the Ghost Lilies are thick bundles of strappy green foliage.  As we inspect and stroll, great plans are made. Mrs. CW Earle 1897 pointed out in Pot-Pourri from a Surrey Garden “Half the interest of a garden is the constant exercise of the imagination”. We love to exercise the imagination!