The West Chicago Garden Club

Boom!

May and early June were sensational at the Kruse Garden.  It seemed as though nothing was coming back and then suddenly…boom! Plants woke up from the long, hard winter and exploded into bloom. First thing every Wednesday morning our team walks the garden. We look at what’s currently blooming, what’s starting to peek out and what tasks we want to complete.  You can hear our “oohs” and “aahs”…not unlike hearing a crowd watching fireworks.

The peony displays were spectacular!  The Single Shell Peony, donated by Billie, has large single flowers of delicate pink with yellow centers.  In front of the house is a lightly scented, semi-double flower peony, from Klemms Nursery, that stands upright over three feet.  Behind the garage, is a fabulous pink, full double bloom peony, original to the house. Its fragrance is incredible! The back and side gardens contain several other vintage varieties, including bomb-type flowers.

Rosa Glauca gave us an impressive show. The oldest rose in the garden, has fragile, clear pink flowers. The species name of glauca refers to the bluish-green coloring found on many of the leaves.

Other lovely shows were the Lemon Lily, the first lily to bloom in the garden. It looks like lemon sherbet…good enough to eat. The Orion Geranium has a vibrant blue-violet bloom and puts on a spectacular foliar display in autumn. Some gardeners believe Orion is a true rival of the pretty Rozanne Geranium also found in the Kruse garden.

Selecting the right plants for under the large tree in the front yard has been a challenge. The area is dry and shady.  We planted some Canadian Wild Ginger that will spread slowly, and we hope to have a dense bed in a few years.

Angie is our designer…she has a good eye for staging plants for texture, color, height and bloom time.  Billie is our walking plant encyclopedia and knows the Latin names as well as the common names.  They both really know their plants and how to care for them. Tom and I are learning a lot from them.

Come join us in the garden.  Help us tend the lovely plants or just stroll and enjoy.

Kerry, Billie, Angie & Tom