The West Chicago Garden Club

Last November I bought my first amaryllis bulb, not knowing how easy it would be to grow and how much I’d enjoy it, all the way through April when it rebloomed! Here are some tips (courtesy of U of I Extension Service) if you’ve never tried it:

“When buying a bulb, select one that is at least 2 1/2 inches in diameter. Smaller bulbs will not bloom. Larger bulbs (4 inches) produce better, often developing two flower stalks instead of one. Make sure the bulbs are firm and free of soft spots and discoloration.

Plant the bulbs in a container that has drainage holes. The container should be about two inches bigger in diameter than the bulb. The planting mix should drain well; an equal mix of peat and perlite would be suitable. Plant so that about one third of the bulb shows above the soil level. After planting, the planting mix should be thoroughly watered. Keep the mix consistently moist. The mix should not be saturated. Do not water over the nose of the bulb. If water seeps into the bulb, it may cause it to rot. Continue Reading »

Someone has been edging the Kruse Garden beds!  And they are doing a mighty fine job of it! We have asked around trying to identify the gracious gardener but to no avail. The crisp edging is so perfect it looks to be machine done. It really helps keep the weeds out of the beds and frames the gardens very nicely.  As you know from touring the gardens, there are many feet of edging surrounding the beds and it’s not an easy task to keep up with. Whoever is helping us… thank you… it is greatly appreciated! We’d love to thank you in person and pick up some tips from your fine skills. Let us know who you are. We know there are other helpful gardeners who stop by the Kruse Garden and pull some weeds, pick up some trash or do a bit of deadheading or watering. We tip our sun hats to all of you and encourage your continued efforts. Small acts do make a difference and you are encouraged to join us when you can on Monday mornings or go solo and contribute as you can on your own. We will schedule a ‘mulch distribution’ work day this fall so maybe that will be your opportunity to be involved. It is rewarding to work with other gardeners. The things learned are remarkable! Continue Reading »

Now that the plant sale is over Billie, Angie and I are hard at work getting the grounds in order. There is always a lot to do, and even though we try to plan our work, is seems there is never enough time. I have been working at the Kruse House for several years now and I do try to listen to what I’m told. Angie explained to me that when weeding the best way to make sure you are removing a weed and not a valuable plant is to pull on it. And if it comes out of the ground easily, then it is a valuable plant. As much time as I have spent at the Kruse house, I really never looked at the gardens the way a visitor would. So I decided to go to the Kruse House and spend some time there.

So off to the Kruse House I go. The first thing I noticed as I was pulling in was dozens of Memorial Day Poppies. There are orange, red and white ones all waving in the breeze. As Angie can tell you, this is not one of my favorite flowers. I do like them when they are blooming, it’s after they bloom that I have problems with them. Looking in the area of the Poppies, are two beautiful Smoke bushes. This is the first year we have allowed these bushes to “smoke. The colors on this bush are amazing, a kind of a red with dark highlights, really nice. We have these bushes located at two places at the Kruse House and they are all great. Continue Reading »