Lily Lake couple does double duty to keep colorful garden in bloom

Posted July 23, 2010 11:00 pm

Deborah Donovan

Each spring Carrie and James DeLaPeña plant every one of those 700 cannas by hand. That is something you will want to keep in mind when you visit their Lily Lake garden and enjoy its tropical color.

Just for fun and to showcase artwork by friends, the 2 acres west of St. Charles will be open for free tours the evening of Aug. 4.

"Planting the cannas is a team effort," says Carrie. "James digs and I follow behind on my knees and put them in. Then he goes behind me and puts the soil over them."

You probably have guessed - the tubers of the cannas and a smaller number of plate-sized dahlias must be dug up every fall, too. The good news is they multiply every year, giving gardeners more product for their effort.

"That's the fun," said Carrie. "You just about triple your crop. We love to see how many come out." James started growing cannas almost 25 years ago in Ohio. A co-worker at General Mills gave him six tubers, and he was thrilled to see they grew into the same flowers he liked to play among when he was a young child on the south side of Chicago.

"Right in front of my house were gardens made of these cannas," he said. "They've come all the way around again. It was something that always reminded me of my childhood. They're more tropical, but we are able to overcome Midwest winters by removing them every fall before freezing and planting them after there's no longer a threat of frost in the spring."

Cannas with huge bronze leaves and coral flowers grow as tall as 11 feet, said James, and the green ones with red flowers are a few feet shorter. They are featured in some of the gardens the couple has created around the yard during the eight years they have owned their home.

"Growing them as singles doesn't do them justice," said James. "And they help support each other. A strong wind could blow them over."

A different, mixed look is achieved in the garden right beyond the rear patio where the couple plants just about anything they like - many of the varieties were gifts from other gardeners.

Visitors will see morning glories, tiger grass, shrubs that were volunteers from a red plum tree that's gone now, lilies, rose of Sharon, cosmos, obedient plant with purple flowers, begonias, a rose bush and zinnias.

A fun spot at the rear of the yard holds a huge old tree where Carrie placed a statue of a boy and a large old swing she found at an estate sale.

"This is the best place to see the garden," says Carrie, although you get the feeling the woman who spends 10 hours in a day weeding doesn't sit still long enough to enjoy it very often.

And just beyond that on property owned by the development is a pond full of frogs that also attracts ducks and muskrats. The DeLaPeñas also see deer, coyotes and foxes in their gardens.

The previous owner planted 130 trees, and the property boasts large pines, birch, apple, magnolia, maple, forsythia and lilacs. James spends a lot of time pruning the trees because he likes them well shaped, reports his wife.

Lest you think the DeLaPeñas favor only plants that require a lot of work, Carrie also plants cleome, which reseeds to spread its purple, white and pink flowers; lilies, day lilies and ground covers that like to spread.

Cleome is a star in a fairy garden planted for a young granddaughter. In another corner a secret garden winds between pines with a rose bush, trellis and hostas.

Carrie plans her gardens to bloom as much as possible, with gladiolas and zinnias sited to provide color when the peonies and other spring perennials are spent.

Her penchant for detail extends to the back of the garden shed where the DeLaPeñas planted a screen of cannas to make sure the neighbors' view is attractive.

"At night they look great, too, with the lights on them," said Carrie.

How to grow cannasHere are tips from Carrie and James DeLaPe#241;a on growing cannas.bull;Water, water, water, says Carrie, and spray for beetles.bull;The secret is to put the tubers only 3 inches deep and cover them with loose soil, said Carrie, even if you read somewhere that they should go deeper.bull;James DeLaPe#241;a sprays his cannas with Alaskan fish oil a few times a summer. "That makes everything bloom around here," he said. And he puts coffee grounds in the gardens, even saving the winter's bounty.bull;Dig up the tubers before the first frost. Carrie remembers digging them on Halloween last year, and James says he is very protective and starts digging when temperatures drop into the 40s. bull;James spreads tubers on tarps in the garage to let them dry, then gets as much dirt off as he can before putting them in storage.bull;The couple stores the tubers in a plastic tub in the basement without adding any material. bull;But before he does any of this he has to cut every leaf off while the plants are standing in the garden. "That's two or three weekends right there" said Carrie.True20001328Lilies are among favorite flowers that Carrie DeLaPeña has in her Lily Lake yard.John Starks | Staff PhotographerTrue If you goWhat: Open garden at Carrie and James DeLaPeña's homeWhen: 4-9 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 4Where: 5N630 Leslie Court, Lily Lake (east of Route 47 and south of Route 64); use St. Charles in location searchesCall: (630) 365-1435Etc.: Work by artists will be shown, including metal garden sculptures from <a href="http://hhmetalsmiths.com" target="new">hhmetalsmiths.com</a>.

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