On the grounds of the Naper Settlement, green buds are only starting to peek through the brown landscape.
The hydrangea and the peonies are just beginning to shake off their winter slumber.
It will be months before the sea holly and the Chinese lanterns bloom and color engulfs the grounds of the 13-acre outdoor history museum, where guests of all ages are transported back to 19th century Naperville through interactive activities and tours of the 30 restored historical structures.
Inside the Daniels House, however, last year’s blossoms are getting a second life. Flowers and grasses grown on the property and picked last summer spent the winter drying in the basement.
Upstairs, on the second floor of the Greek Revival Style house, built in 1852 and moved to the settlement in 1974, the Weed Ladies have been hard at work crafting those remnants and silk flowers into beautiful works of art.
The dozen or so volunteers, most of whom are retired and most of whom have backgrounds in gardening or design, work year-round but lately they’ve been prepping for the annual spring sale, one of three events at the settlement that enables the public to peruse their handiwork and help support the cause.
The spring sale runs 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. March 31 through April 2, and 1 to 3 p.m. April 3. Guests should enter through the Pre-Emption House on the corner of Webster and Aurora Avenues.
Prices start at $5 for bookmarks and at $10 for arrangements.
All proceeds benefit Naper Settlement education and preservation.
“Our arrangements are created from designer silk flowers, with touches of natural elements from our garden,” said Lynn Rogala, co-chair of the group.
“We’ve always created some totally dried wreaths and arrangements. New arrangements are created by our designers in the upstairs workroom. Our showroom displays are one-of-a-kind designs for sale,” she said.
Expect to see spring-related creations in all shapes and sizes.
Have a specific design in mind? Custom work can be done as well, she said. Go to napersettlement.org for more information.
The Weed Ladies formed in 1969 when a group of women decided to raised funds for the newly formed Naper Settlement.
Dedicated gardeners, they created dried flower arrangements in antique containers to be sold at the annual Antique Show and Sale presented by the Naperville Heritage Society.
One of the volunteers’ husbands, noting how often his wife asked him to stop by the side of a road so she could pick flowers and grasses, began calling the artists a bunch of “weed ladies” and the name stuck, even though these days staff sometimes need to explain there is no association with marijuana, spokeswoman Denise Cartina said.
The group’s signature “weed” bouquets, made up of dried flowers and grasses, were an instant hit 40 years ago and are still created today. The flowers are grown in the onsite Kay Stephen’s Memorial Garden, dedicated to one of the founding women.
The garden is home to native and hybrid plants that preserve well, in a range of beautiful colors and forms. They include hydrangea, Chinese lanterns, golden rod, yarrow, sea lavender, sea holly, globe thistle, peony, safflower, statice, strawflower, love in the mist, money plant and native grasses.
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The blooms are hung to dry or glycerinated in the basement workspace of the Daniels House, former home and medical office of Dr. Hamilton C. Daniels. The work is not so far a stretch from the home’s original mission.
In the 1850s, medical treatments for various ailments ranged from traditional methods such as bloodletting and purging the stomach, to more modern patent medicines, including tinctures for asthma relief and skin disorders. Daniels is now considered to have been ahead of his time because he provided both methods of treatment to the residents of Naperville. After he died, his son published a book of 50 of his healing recipes.
The Weed Ladies clocked more than 1,800 hours collectively in 2021 crafting holiday displays as well as home and office enhancements, Cartina said. They typically work two to three days a week. Purchases can be made during those times.
Newcomers who understand gardening or design are welcome to join the women.
Other floral arrangement sales are held in the fall, winter and during special events on the grounds.
Donna Vickroy is an award-winning reporter, editor and columnist who worked for the Daily Southtown for 38 years.