The West Chicago Garden Club

By Barbara Darrah

I’m sitting in front of a cheerful fire, a glass of wine in my hand, a dozing cat on my lap and my best friend at my side. I look out the window, past the bird feeders, at the winter remnants of our garden. I am not saddened by this barren view because I am taking this time, like the garden itself, to pull my roots back down into myself and let my imagination kindle thoughts of the coming spring and summer. Should we plant something new? Should we cut back an overgrown bush? We all dream of getting out there in the warm sun and getting our hands dirty once again.

I think it would be hard to be a gardener if you couldn’t have this chance to settle into the warmth of this winter hibernation. We need this time to contemplate the bare bones of our surroundings and picture the changes that we can make to enhance this small part of the world that we call our own.

Of course, those of us who volunteer at Kruse House are imagining our “second” garden as well. We are always thinking of ways to improve it without forgetting our ultimate goal of keeping its maintenance low. It’s actually fun to get together for a few hours on a Wednesday morning. We would love to have any of you who occasionally can spare an hour or so to come and join us. Or if you want to stop by any time and pull a weed or two – Welcome.

In the meantime , we can all revel in good food, warm fires and the pleasure of the crisp winter air and dream about the coming spring.

Our speaker this January will be Dr. Megan Dunning and her topic is “The Trees Near My Home”.

The trees close to your home affect your life in so many ways – and you are also important to those trees. Join Megan Dunning, Manager of Adult Learning Programs at The Morton Arboretum, to explore our relationship with nearby nature. She’ll introduce you to a few of her favorite trees, discuss the benefits trees bring to our lives, and share what community members are doing to protect and care for the trees they live with.  

Megan Dunning is proud to be a Champion of Trees in her role as the Manager of Adult Learning Programs for The Morton Arboretum, a 1700 acre museum of trees west of Chicago. She oversees curriculum development and management of educational programs focused on trees, gardens, nature, and botany for college and adult audiences. Before joining the Arboretum, Megan completed a Ph.D. in Genetics at The University of Chicago, studying plant-pathogen co-evolution. She is a plant enthusiast and an advocate for the power of spending time in nature.  

Guests are welcome to come to a meeting and see if they are interested in our club.  Our dues are very reasonable: only $15 for an individual or $25 for a family of two.  Come join us on January 23 at St. Andrew Lutheran Church (corner for Geneva Road and Prince Crossing Road).

By Kerry Perry

Although it’s the dead of winter, spring planting catalogs started arriving in the mail Jan 2nd. The nurseries and big box stores have already put out starter pots, soil, gardening tools, etc. What an inspiration to think spring!

Since 1998 the Kruse House Garden has been our Club’s community service project. The garden was resurrected, restored and has been tended by many hard-working and dedicated club members. Last year’s garden was spectacular and had an increased number of visitors.

The Kruse Crew game plan for 2020: Add more dirt and mulch to the beds. Replace Smoke Bushes that succumbed to some sort of rot. Thin the lilac bushes to promote new growth, yet retain branches to bloom this year. Add colorful perennials – Japanese Forest Grass, Aralia Cordata and Hibiscus.

The Crew meets regularly Wednesday mornings, weather permitting, May through October. But volunteer anytime that fits your schedule. Stroll through the garden and pull a few weeds or pick up litter that may have blown in. Dead head spent blooms and toss them on the compost pile.

Every little bit helps.