The West Chicago Garden Club

Notorious for varied weather conditions March marches forward with great fanfare.  Part winter, part spring, the changes are dramatic.  We enjoy the lengthening days, gawk at the ground for daffodil shoots and are delighted when we discover them.  We are joyful to see the first robins and hear the Sandhill cranes honking overhead as they migrate north.  March used to be the first month of the New Year. That makes a lot of sense, but back in 1752 the new style, Gregorian, calendar was introduced and January began the New Year. Whatever! 

The switch to daylight savings time changes the perspective altogether. The longer evenings are an outdoor gift!  Woweeee!  We better get out the rakes, oil the pruner and sharpen the spade.  We are going to be working in the garden.  But we want to be wise about our work.  We are all looking for balance in our lives. There is a lot of talk about effort…less gardening.  No one expects to garden without any effort, but less effort would be welcome and more realistic.    Roy Diblik of Northwind Perennials recently published Small Perennial Gardens: The Know Maintenance Approach. He points out that ‘Hope to God gardening, toss a plant in the ground and hope to God it grows’, isn’t a practical or satisfying way to garden.  He advocates use of basic perennial plants, ornamental grasses, and shrubs combined in manageable spaces.  Sounds like the mixed perennial borders most of us are familiar with right?  The key seems to turn on plant selection and combination. His top plant picks for ‘know maintenance’ gardens could be titled ‘tried and true’.   Grouping plants with like needs and complimentary characteristics results in beautiful displays and low maintenance. We just have to remind ourselves that those brand  new plants that can ring bells & whistle tunes  may (or not) be the best selections for your garden.  This low maintenance garden goal has been the agenda for the Kruse Garden for years.  The shrubs, grasses, and perennials that have been installed over the last years are moving the garden down this path. The journey is enlightening and enjoyable. We haven’t come to the sign post titled ‘know maintenance’ yet, but it’s just around the bend. 

We hope this year that you walk the Kruse Garden with us.  Plan to participate whenever and however you can.  At the very least, plan to visit often. 

With (S)spring in our step, we bid you a ‘Happy New Year’.