Garden Club President Talks Peonies, Garlic and Rabbits

It’s a good week to be grateful for royal purple irises, the scent of lilacs and fresh tomatoes from the garden.

That’s because the Village of Northbrook has declared the week of June 5-11 as National Garden Week, in recognition of the efforts of the Northbrook Garden Club.

Founded in 1950, the Garden Club was built around the basic ideals of service and civic beautification.  Its members have created public gardens throughout the village, including those by the Historical Society building, the fire departments and park district buildings. They’re also involved with Earth Day every year and have worked to preserve a local prairie site.

In honor of National Garden Week in Northbrook, Patch is giving you a peek into the minds and gardens of three members of the Garden Club. Today, we start with Julie Hansen, president and longtime club member. Click through the photo gallery at right for images of her garden.

Club President Reflects On 30 Years of Gardening in Northbrook 

Hansen first got involved in the club when a neighbor invited her to a meeting--and she discovered there were other people who shared her love of plants. 

“I like to be outdoors,” she says, “and at that first meeting I was so excited that there were other people who wanted to talk about plants!”  She went on to become a master flower show judge, held the title of president of the Garden Clubs of Illinois at one time and is currently serving her second term as president (she served a two-year term during the 1980s).

“We try to have a lot of different activities to appeal to a wide variety of gardeners,” said Hansen, “We have new gardeners, experienced gardeners, container gardeners and gardeners interested in landscape design.”

The club is now taking a more active role in education, and offers a series of garden studies classes that follow national guidelines but bring in local speakers and are designed for gardeners in the Midwest.

Class topics include environmental studies, flower show preparation and landscape design. Hansen, in particular, said she has especially enjoyed learning landscape design.

“I’ve learned to look at the landscape as a habitat, a whole piece and how to keep in touch with the rhythm of nature,” she said. “We need to look at our environment in that way.”

Hansen and her husband have lived in their Northbrook home for nearly 30 years, and some of the peonies blooming at the moment were there when they moved in.  Of course, she’s added to the collection over the years, including one variety named after National Garden Club President Violet Dawson. She is also happy to have a family of great horned owls living in the area now.

“Anything that brings the balance back is a good thing,” she says. “For a while we had so many rabbits —they were munching on my lilies. The owls have helped with that!”

Hansen also uses chopped garlic around her plants to help keep the rabbits away. 

“I buy the big jars at Costco and the smell is so overpowering that the rabbits can’t find the plants they want to eat.”

Check back Wednesday for , who helps maintain The Blue Star Garden next to the post office on Dundee Road.