The West Chicago Garden Club

Many compliments were paid to the lilies of the Kruse Garden this past month!  The warm pink L.A. (longiflorum-asiatic) hybrid named Algarve, located by the front door especially garnered a lot of attention. It could easily be seen from the street on drive by and was magnificently showcased by the brilliant yellow of the Mary Todd daylily in the foreground!  What a stunning display it was!  This L.A. lily is as sturdy as a young tree with abundant flowers that hold up well and have fragrance of raspberries and roses.  It is the second year for this rock star and we hope it keeps performing for many years to come. 

Cultivation of lilies in this country is recorded as early as 1654 by Governor William Bradford of Plymouth Massachusetts and the popularity of the genus never fades. From natives to cutting edge hybrids they provide breathtaking displays of color, form, and fragrance!  It’s not too early to prepare your shopping list for ‘must have’ lilies to plant this fall.  Anyone interested in a group order?  Let Billie know by the end of July if you are.

What …..???  You saw an old livestock trough planted with herbs by the back door of the Kruse House?!  Well, what you actually saw was a replica of an old livestock trough that resides in Prince Charles garden as seen in a recent copy of English Garden magazine. The magazine article tells that Prince C doesn’t like to throw anything away so old trough became a splendid planter. Angie decided we needed something like that for the space by the back door. Put a good idea like that together with a skilled carpenter and waalaa….a rustic ‘box’ that looks very much like the real deal! We are tickled pink with this ‘new’ addition!  Since herbs by the back door were common historical arrangement, rosemary, thyme, oregano, basil, and such, grace the trough planter.  What will we think of next?!

Yes, you can snip an herb or two on your visits to enjoy the Kruse Garden.  Happy to share with you! 

The big event in the garden is coming soon…..Sunday, August 1^st, 1-6 PM.  It’s our annual celebration of The Secret Garden at the Kruse House.  The Kruse Garden is “stop 1”of a Posey Mosey garden stroll.  Enjoy the delights of the Kruse Garden, and taste test the home baked treats and lemonade.  Then, follow your program and map to visit award winning contest gardens located around town!   Please don’t miss this opportunity!  We still need a few more volunteers to bake.  You can sign up at the July meeting if you haven’t already done so.  Your help is greatly appreciated!!!