The West Chicago Garden Club

The last day of July was a Wednesday and we stood in the Kruse House parking lot waiting for the driving rain to stop. Finally, we gave up, called it a day and prepared to meet on the coming hot, hazy days of August. Of course, the next Wednesday was a breezy perfect spring-like day. Here in the Midwest we never seem to know what the weather is going to do.

Nevertheless, it is August and as usual we are reaching into fall when I am not really through with summer. It used to be that summer lasted until Labor Day. It was a time for beach parties and barbeques and lazy days to read that novel waiting on the shelf. Now, it seems like, with back-to-school sales and upcoming elections, everything is pushing us towards fall.

Still, in the garden, August is the culmination of summer. Kruse glows with the hot pinks of phlox, the golden radiance of marigolds and black eyed susans and the scintillating red of the cannas and the perennial hibiscus.

These are nature’s warm colors flaunting themselves in her last fling of the summer with the red/gold of the Viburnum echoing August’s mellow fruitfulness. This is concentrated summer and we have a whole month to revel in it.

You are all welcome to join us at the Kruse garden to weed and deadhead on Wednesday mornings or to just walk around and enjoy summer’s last stand.

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