The West Chicago Garden Club

Has the spring cleanup in the Kruse Garden ever been complete by April 4? 

We set the bar pretty high by getting it done that early this year!  Maybe back in the day when the Kruse family lovingly tended the garden it got that kind of attention but in recent times it has often not been top on the mile high stack of the spring  ‘to do’ list.  Angie and Tom spent several mornings over there snipping and raking and the grand finale featured the Votava’s lawn crew with blowers, lots of energy and strength, and a truck to haul away loads of junk…and there was a lot!  We couldn’t have done it without them!  

The gardens look terrific!  A smattering of blue and yellow (grape hyacinths and daffodils) dot the back garden while eye-popping green creeps to cover the ground everywhere.  It is so fresh, clean and neat!  The numerous shrubs installed last year are swelled with buds and the Dawn Redwood tree donated by Meyer Landscaping is ready to pop out as well! We put in 50 alliums ‘Purple Sensation’ last fall and their distinct strappy foliage is rising high, proclaiming, ‘we’re glad to be here’! No doubt, the awakening of a garden is a salve for the soul.  The wonder is unrivaled!  

There is a standard requirement for spring garden work which includes dividing and moving plants.  The Kruse Garden is no exception to that standard.  Angie has those plants on the move!  She doesn’t forget about all the talk last fall of what needed to be done “next year”.  There are some big projects on the docket for the year but as the gardens are evolving the work becomes even more rewarding.  The fruits of our labor are paying off.  

We hope you stop by and visit the gardens often throughout the year. Take a leisurely stroll and enjoy. If you come on a Saturday, 11A-3P, May through September, you could also enjoy the interesting and unique time piece display “As Time Goes By” featured in the house this year. Now that’s a “two-fer”!   We would be pleased to hear your feedback and suggestions on the gardens.  We are still looking for specific plant donations (Bergenia, Epimedium, Helleborus, to name a few) and could use some tools as well.  It would be nice to haul less stuff over there every time we work.  We can provide details if you can help us out with plants or tools it would be greatly appreciated.