The West Chicago Garden Club

by Christina Covarrubias

October brings more signs of changing seasons, brisk breezes, (sometimes) cooler temperatures, shorter days, and a riot of new colors appearing in the garden. Plant growth slows down, we as gardeners slow down, but things do not have to be blooming to be growing. A lesson for plants and people alike!

While walking around the Kruse garden you may see bright, red berries from viburnum and chokeberry shrubs, resilient flowers still in bloom from Japanese anemones, ageratum, Rozanne geranium, boneset, caryopteris shrubs, beautyberry shrub, lespedeza shrubs, aconitum, and ALL the many asters from east to west and north to south.

As we begin to put the garden to bed for the next season we have to pause to recognize some outstanding plants that survive our once-weekly tending. These plants include the coleus donated as plugs from Cantigny. Who knew they tolerated such dry, dry, dry conditions? The red batwing begonias in containers, fully 28-30 inches tall and gorgeous.

Finally, an honorable mention goes to our newest “archeological discovery” buried flagstones edging a central garden bed above the pond and leading down a path several feet. It may not be quite as exciting as when Christine Baxter, Dick and Barbara Darrah (among others) found the hole that was the pond or the stone steps buried in the hill! Still, the “Kruse crew” composed of our West Chicago Garden Club members continue to preserve this lovely little corner and discover garden design from over 100 years
ago. Come visit the garden any day during daylight hours. Come garden whenever you can Wednesdays 9-11:30am.

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