The West Chicago Garden Club

by Barbara Darrah

“Try to remember a kind of September when grass was green and grain was yellow”
(Song by The Brothers Four)

I think of September as the most ambiguous month of the year. I never know whether to be happy or sad. Summer still lingers, but Autumn is in the air. Our gardens are still green but there are touches of gold everywhere. At Kruse the gardens are still blooming gloriously as you may have seen at the Ice Cream Social. Still, there is that overall feeling of a declining summer holding its breath as Autumn creeps in. I love the crispness of a September day, but I hate watching August’s grandeur fade away.

During our most recent workday at Kruse, we weeded and deadheaded, hoping to hang on to that last bit of blossom, but spent the break talking about what we would be doing next year, already transplanting and dividing in preparation. I will miss our “group gardening” in the coming months, but I must admit that the chance to step back and take it easy sounds very enticing indeed about now.

“Try to remember a kind of September when life was slow and oh so mellow.”

Jerome Johnson is the creative director of the Garfield Farm Museum in Campton Hills. Garfield Farm Museum is a living history farm that preserves the original 1840s farmstead. Jerome’s presentation, “Heirloom Plants and Loss of Genetic Diversity in Domestic Cultivars,” will be an introduction to the loss of genetic diversity in the plants that we humans depend on. Learn about how planting heirloom plants can increase genetic diversity.

Meeting Location: St Andrew Lutheran Church NE Corner of Prince Crossing & Geneva Road.

Meeting Time: 6:45PM Refreshments – 7:00PM Business Meeting – 7:15PM Program

The Kruse Garden is splendid! It’s at its peak. Several varieties of hydrangea, false sunflowers, phlox, and more perennials are in full bloom. Annuals such as ornamental cabbage, coreopsis, and snapdragons are spectacular.

If you didn’t have a chance to attend Twilight Tuesday at Kruse, visit the garden now. The three-quarter acre property is located at 527 Main Street, West Chicago. Enjoy!