The West Chicago Garden Club

It’s party time!  The 4^th annual Secret Garden at the Kruse House event is coming soon! Sunday, August 7, from 1-4 pm, please come, tour house and garden, enjoy refreshments, and visit with friends.  The special feature this year will be an extensive presentation of original creations of garden art by local artist Mary Kay. Something you are sure to enjoy!  We look forward to walking the garden with you.  It will be a perfect way to spend a summer afternoon!  We will need your help with the sweet treats.  If you can provide a batch/pan of cookies/cake/bars (something that won’t melt in heat) that would be greatly appreciated!  Just bring the food donation with you when you come. Continue Reading »

After a major cleanup at the Kruse garden, two truckloads of branches, leaves, and garden debris were hauled away. Spring bulbs started pushing out of the ground, many seemingly appearing overnight. The daffodil buds are starting to open; some so rounded and plump as if saying they are happy in their location. Somewhere in the back of memory was a glimmer of a poem about daffodils. Punching in “daffodils poem” Google came through with the most well-known poem on daffodils.

Daffodils

I wonder’d lonely as a cloud
That floats on high o’er vales and hills,
When all at once I saw a crowd,
A host of golden daffodils…

By William Wordsworth [1804]

Over 200 years ago, William, at the age of 34, admired a flower that we still see in our gardens. Actually, the daffodil name is recorded from the 16th century, the name, aphodile from Medieval Latin. Just think, King Henry Vlll of England, strolled and admired it in his gardens, and called it Lent lily or daffydown dilly. Other names are narcissus, jonquil, fleurde coucou, perillon. In Wales it is the national emblem. Continue Reading »

At this point, we can see the end of winter on the horizon.  March 21, the spring equinox, is only about a month away!  The days are noticeably longer and we can look forward to Daylight Savings Time beginning on March 13!  All those piles of snow will be gone before we know it!  Since Ground Hog Day marked a snow storm of record proportions the legend (“no sun, then winters done”) predicts an early spring.  All signs are pointed in the right direction.

February is “Feed the Birds Month”. Hope you’ve all been doing your part. It’s also possible that we could see the first blossoms of the year in February.  Snowdrops are brave souls.  They may not even wait for the snow to melt before poking through.  What a sight for the winter-weary!  The white drop shaped buds look much like an ear drop (old name for earring) and the Latin mane Galanthus means milk white flowers. This small bulb is hardy zone 3-7 and is lovely in mass planting. Continue Reading »