Page 8 THE SAUGUS ADVOCATE – FRIDAY, JANUARY 8, 2021 Saugus Gardens in the Pandemic J Here’s what’s blooming in town this week to make your walks more enjoyable By Laura Eisener anuary is the month when we look back toward the year left behind and forward Gina S Soldano REALTOR® ABR®, AHWD, e-PRO®, GREEN, MRP®, PSA®, SFR®, SRES®, SRS® Broker/Associate Millennium Real Estate 291 Ferry Street, Everett, MA 02149 (857) 272-4270 Gina.Soldano@era.com gsoldanorealtor.com Law Offices of Terrence W. Kennedy 512 Broadway, Everett • Criminal Defense • Personal Injury • Medical Malpractice Tel: (617) 387-9809 Cell: (617) 308-8178 twkennedylaw@gmail.com to the new year ahead. “If we had no winter, the spring would not be so pleasant: if we did not sometimes taste of adversity, prosperity would not be so welcome,” said the first published poet of North America, 17th century Massachusetts poet Anne Dudley Bradstreet. While we may have to bundle up a bit to walk around our neighborhoods this month, the exercise gets us warmed up pretty quickly. I am hoping that people leave some of their holiday decorations up a little longer this year, since I haven’t seen them all yet and continue to enjoy them! Two of the pictures this week are of “reindeer,” which is a popular winter decorating theme. There are quite a few styles of deer decorations around town. Undoubtedly residents in some neighborhoods have been seeing real deer in their gardens or have seen evidence that they have been snacking on the trees and shrubs. I’ve only seen deer in my yard twice in the many decades I’ve lived here, but near Appleton Street, I’ve heard, people see them on a regular basis, especially in winter. If they live near woods, residents need to choose deer-resistant plants to keep their gardens from being devoured! Exactly what is really deer-resistant will depend on how hungry the deer are – winters with deep snow make food much harder to find. Plants like holly, which are prickly and not usually a deer favorite, may become desirable food when other plants are not accessible. The one plant that seems to be especially deer-resistant, even to the point of making adjacent plants seem less appetizing, is boxwood (Buxus spp.). If you have ever been close to boxwood, you are likely to be aware of a very distinctive aroma from the foliage. While some people actually like it, other people liken the scent to a cat litter box that hasn’t been cleaned! Possibly the deer feel the same way – it may remind them of a bobcat marking its territory. A few popular evergreens that seem to be favorites of deer are eastern arborvitae (Thuja occidentalis) and yews (Taxus cuspidata and GARDENS | SEE PAGE 17 A WINTER FLOWER: Snow pansy (Viola hiemalis) blooming in the snow alongside Route 1 at Bernie & Phyl’s. (Courtesy photo to The Saugus Advocate by Laura Eisener) A WINTER DECORATION: One of a pair of wooden deer at the home of Lisa Frost on Central Street, locally made in Saugus and bought at the Veterans’ school fair at a “Christmas stroll” several years ago. (Courtesy photo to The Saugus Advocate by Laura Eisener) NO LONGER TEAMMATES: A herd of “Boston Patriots reindeer” that have graced this front yard in Lynnhurst for several winters have been updated – two of their number (Gronk and Brady) are now wearing different colors and facing their former teammates. (Courtesy photo to The Saugus Advocate by Laura Eisener)
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