The West Chicago Garden Club

By Billie Childress

June is not for reading or writing or cleaning the house. It’s for being outside in the garden every minute possible.

Help Wanted. I love working in the garden. It’s so satisfying to work with other gardeners and seeing the difference we make there is also satisfying. Two more members have joined us, Chris Gicela and Shirley Schramer. Thanks for your interest and fine work ladies! We are fortunate indeed to have all the volunteer hours we have AND YET we could use some more help. I’m sincerely asking each of you to consider donating an hour or two each week, or once a month. Each of us set our own schedule and not everyone comes every week. Our standard work day is Wednesday morning however I’m open to a standard evening work schedule as well. Please contact me if you’re interested. Thanks for considering this request!

Tree Gone. The big maple from in front of the house had a diseased core and was removed in April. That changed the front flower bed from shade to sun and we have been busy moving Hosta and ginger out and sun plants in. Herb stone rudbeckia, tall garden phlox, and purple cone flower have been added and we filled in with perky bright annuals. All the annuals planted were plugs so it’s taking them awhile to take hold but they’re doing well.

Thanks Jeff. Got some nice plants from Jeff this year that he started from seed. The bed under the sign out front is packed with marigolds from Jeff. Thanks also to Chris G. Who edged and planted that bed. Jeff also gave us zinnias, a giant California mix, and red geraniums.

. Kerry Perry, Barbara Darrah, Keith Letsche, Jan Grismore, Chris Gicela, and Shirley Schramer have all donated many hours in the garden. Many thanks to you! The garden is looking great! The Butterflies are an outstanding addition to the garden! Thank you Butterfly Artists!!! We are enjoying your work!

Workshop: Hypertufa + Blade sharpening

An example of a finished Hypertufa container.

Anyone interested in having fun, learning something new and creating your own work of art?  This meeting will be held at a Member’s home – please see your newsletter for details.

Each participant will create their own planter/pot/container from our concrete mix, better know as a Hypertufa! The club will provide all materials except the form that you will use to put the cement into and make your creation.  The form can be a bowl, plastic container or small box, none to be larger than 12 inches in any direction. Your container can be lined with plastic so when you remove your “cured” creation, your container will still be in good condition.  Since these cement items have to “cure” for several weeks, you should bring a card board box to place your item into  – to transport to your home.

Nearly anything can be used as a Hypertufa mold.

If you absolutely cannot locate a container to use as your mold, Marcie has a few extra but not enough for everyone.  Please RSVP to the newsletter email if you will be participating in this activity and if you are bringing your own mold or need one from Marcie. You may want to bring gloves and a small wooden dowel, and if you plan to add some of your own bling, perhaps some colored stones or marbles! Be creative!

Members that don’t wish to make this project should come and visit with friends, enjoy the refreshments and view the beautiful garden. Bring your item/items to be sharpened by John (see sharpening information on page 2 of your newsletter). 

Note: We suggest that you bring a chair as there isn’t enough seating for everyone.

By Keith Letsche

Keith Letsche takes a break on his newly complete log-and-plank bench.

“Something there is that doesn’t love a wall,” Robert Frost once wrote about winter. And not much else in a garden either, he could have added. And so, when Mother Nature finally let the West Chicago Garden Club crew into the Kruse House garden in mid-April after two successive weeks of snow and cold weather, the place had all of the marks of winter’s ravages—a litter of fallen branches, topple trellises, and, of course, the beginnings of a hearty crop of new weeds under last year’s debris.

The crew went to work immediately. Billie, Barb Darrah, and Jan spent the day cutting last year’s growth and pulling weeds. Keith reconstructed one of the log-and-plank benches that had rotted away. And Kerry removed all of the dirt from the rustic planter box next to the garage so that the rotted-out bottom boards could be replaced. All of the crew’s energies were focused on knocking the garden into basic shape early this year for the opening on May 12th of the city-wide Year of the Butterfly celebration, for which the Kruse House Garden is one of the sites where artist-designed butterflies will be displayed. .

Mark Luther, Dick Darrah, and Kerry Perry putting up stakes for artists’ butterflies to be displayed in the Kruse House Garden for the Year of the Butterfly celebration.

On April 29th a crew of Mark Luther, Dick Darrah, and Kerry Perry began putting up the stakes for the butterfly exhibit. With one more work day and warmer weather, the garden will finally be ready for the butterflies–both the natural kind and the artist-created ones.  Come out to the garden and enjoy both!

Photos taken at Kruse Garden by Billie Childress