The West Chicago Garden Club

Autumn has definitely arrived. Dick and I were in Wisconsin at the beginning of the month. The colors were riotous, a mix of red, orange, and yellow amid the green of the pines, all gloriously reflected in the blue of the lake.

What a disappointment to come back to our Illinois oaks. But then, thanks to us gardeners, all of our colorful plantings started to turn their leaves. The sugar maples, Virginia creeper, hawthorns, serviceberries and others, along with our native walnuts and hickories are all adding their highlights to the brown oaks.

Kruse Garden is also changing. As it starts to shut down for the season, we are busy cutting back while being careful to leave enough for any wildlife to over-winter in. Some of the hardier flowers – the marigolds, begonias and sedums are still blooming, but they probably won’t last much longer. So, like the poet Robert Frost “I am done with apple picking now” and welcome the “essence of winter sleep“. It’s time to plant those last few bulbs, turn the compost heap, and wait longingly for the far-distant spring.

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