The West Chicago Garden Club

By Keith Letsche

The Containers: The Gardens within the Garden at Kruse

White alyssum overflows in abundance
from this contemporary-styled urn by the
front steps of the house

Thinking of the Kruse House garden brings to mind rock-terraced rows of summer phlox, rudbeckia, cone flowers, and other tall perennials. But then there are the containers, bits of garden within the Kruse Garden, bursting with coleus, ornamental cabbage, and other flashy annuals that are in distinct contrast to the clumps of natives that predominate in the beds. Placed at strategic points, like the main entry to the house or the end of a bed, they draw the eye to these points or ornament what would otherwise be a baren space.

In the most spectacular urn of all that
anchors the front street-facing bed, a
canna flames over brightly colored
coleus.

Unlike the recovered rock terraces, the containers are a modern addition to the Kruse garden. The Victorian penchant for garden urns having faded by the time of the Kruse House’s building in 1917, virtually no outdoor pots or urns appear in historic photos of the grounds, and although a number of trellises survive from when the Kruses lived in the house, no containers do. The containers therefore give a contemporary feel to the garden, but not enough to distract from the overall sense of its historical nature. So, the next time you are at Kruse, stop and look at—and even sniff—the planted containers.

By Ruth Kyme

Our August speaker is Cindy Crosby.  Cindy is a Master Gardener, a steward for the Schulenberg Prairie at Morton Arboretum and at Nachusa Grasslands in Franklin Grove, Illinois.  She is also an author.  Her most recent book is Chasing Dragonflies:  A Natural and Personal History.  Through Cindy’s presentation, Dragonflies and Damselflies:  The Garden’s Frequent Fliers, we will discover the fascinating and bizarre lives of these jeweled garden fliers with plenty of group fun and lively interaction.  There is so much  to discover and marvel about!  Be amazed at their natural history through close up photography of Illinois dragonflies.  Find out how dragonflies tell us about the health of our waterways and the world.  Discover how you can garden to attract these remarkable flying creatures.

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

Meeting Time:

• 6:45PM Arrive & Mingle
• 7:00PM Business Meeting
• 7:15PM Program

The last day of July was a Wednesday and we stood in the Kruse House parking lot waiting for the driving rain to stop. Finally, we gave up, called it a day and prepared to meet on the coming hot, hazy days of August. Of course, the next Wednesday was a breezy perfect spring-like day. Here in the Midwest we never seem to know what the weather is going to do.

Nevertheless, it is August and as usual we are reaching into fall when I am not really through with summer. It used to be that summer lasted until Labor Day. It was a time for beach parties and barbeques and lazy days to read that novel waiting on the shelf. Now, it seems like, with back-to-school sales and upcoming elections, everything is pushing us towards fall.

Still, in the garden, August is the culmination of summer. Kruse glows with the hot pinks of phlox, the golden radiance of marigolds and black eyed susans and the scintillating red of the cannas and the perennial hibiscus.

These are nature’s warm colors flaunting themselves in her last fling of the summer with the red/gold of the Viburnum echoing August’s mellow fruitfulness. This is concentrated summer and we have a whole month to revel in it.

You are all welcome to join us at the Kruse garden to weed and deadhead on Wednesday mornings or to just walk around and enjoy summer’s last stand.