The West Chicago Garden Club

By Kerry Perry

The Kruse Garden is constantly changing.  As one perennial fades away, another plant blooms anew. I think September’s yellows are my favorite. Black-eyed Susan, false sunflowers and marigolds; their colors are bright and sunny. Maybe the blues and purples are best; Caryopteris, Lespedeza, phlox and cone flowers are so cool. Pastels are wonderful; the Pinky-Winky hydrangea and zinnias are pretty. But wait, maybe the reds and oranges should get top billing. The orange marigolds attracting bees, the reddish orange rose hips, the red berries on the viburnum have such rich, warm hues. Even pure white is stunning – Sweet Autumn clematis and Moon flowers. A complete palate of color appears now at Kruse. Do you have a favorite? The choice is difficult. 

At the beginning of the month our dedicated Kruse crew was watering more than weeding. The hot, dry summer days have transitioned to cooler weather.  The recent rain was welcomed, in fact I believe the plants perked up and literally said ”aahhh”.  Our crew also sighed relief.  Fall will be here in just a few days. Time to think about plantings for next spring.  And, we’re planning a new bed in the empty, colorless area under the lilac bushes in the back.

There are still plenty of days to help at Kruse.  Stop by on Wednesday mornings beginning at 8:30. Or, stop by anytime to take a stroll and enjoy the beauty.

By Billie Childress

When you do your best with love, even things that are far from perfect
can be absolutely beautiful.
That’s what we do at the Kruse Garden.

We Kruse Gardeners were delighted that so many garden club members came to visit the garden in July! We are proud of our work and love to have
company. It was a lovely evening! Thanks to Jean Ann, Marcy, and Harlene for the tasty, safe, treats! Greatly appreciated!

Our philosophy at Kruse is: Keep up with the work and the work will get easier. So, we go every Wednesday morning and tend the garden. We’re
waiting for the “easier” part to kick in. This hot dry weather is tough on the plants…especially the new ones. Our biggest investment, the American Hornbeam tree, looks a bit spooky at times but I think it’s settling in. On the other hand, the three new Cranberry Crush Hibiscus are a joy to behold! It’s unusual for a plant to be beautiful it’s first year in the garden. Chris suggested that plant, and it looks like a winner! Thanks Chris…the garden just keeps getting better!

We hope you are enjoying your gardens as much as we are ours. All of us have two gardens, our own, and the Kruse Garden that we share. We have a lot to enjoy! Since our Kruse garden still needs plants, we welcome any donations. Marion Martin recently gave us a nice group of day lilies, Chris
Gicela brought tall bearded iris, and Ruth Kyme donated some lovely pulmonaria ! Thank you ladies! All lovely additions!

I’ll certainly be glad when safe living allows us to see each other in regular monthly club meetings. I miss you all! Until then, stay safe and enjoy
nature and your garden!

By Keith Letsche

Beebalm

The long, hot summer is here, with more 90-plus degree days already than the whole of last year. The sultry weather, however, has not deterred the dedicated Kruse House crew from gathering each Wednesday morning to work in the garden. With the copious rains in May and June and now the warmth and meticulous tending by the crew, the garden is beautifully arrayed with all kinds of mid-summer blooms.

Early July, of course, is lily time, and lush banks of Mary Todds, Stella d’Oro, and other varieties of day lilies are everywhere. Most sensational are a dark purple variety planted in the new front yard bed on the east side of the house that are blooming for the first time. There are also spectacular thickets of crimson beebalm and feathery purple larkspur. Virtually all of the yuccas this year are topped with tall thick stalks of creamy white bell-shaped flowers, thanks probably also to our hot days. Perhaps the loveliest site is the pond, which is abloom with lavender water hyacinths and pink water lilies.

One of the projects this year was the enlargement of the new front yard bed mentioned earlier to include a small tree. A hornbeam was selected and delivered and planted in mid-June, and then almost lost to the excessive heat at the end of that month. However, the tree seems to have recovered and is doing well

Now is the time to come and see the Kruse House garden. If you wait until August, the show will be over.