Page 14 THE SAUGUS ADVOCATE – FriDAy, FEbrUAry 14, 2025 Saugus Gardens in the Winter Here’s what’s blooming in town this week to make your walks more enjoyable By Laura Eisener W hen it’s Valentine’s Day, suddenly you see hearts all over town! Some of them were there all along, and others are decorations for the holiday, and flowery sentiments abound. While admiring the snow in Saugus Center this weekend, the window display of Blown Away Hair Boutique was just one of the places adorned with hearts in the window for the holiday. Year round, there are plenty of hearts near the “Entering Saugus” sign on our border with Lynn. Some of these signs say “Saugus – A Purple Heart Community” and others say “Please Drive Slowly – We ♥ Our Children.” Pine Tops Road in Breakheart Reservation is a 2-mile loop that has been designated a “Heart Healthy” trail and is labeled that way on the trail map. If you look at many of the fences and porch railings, you will find full or partial heart shapes made of wrought iron – popular patterns with a long and interesting history. It makes for a great “scavenger hunt,” although the only prize is fun and exercise to see how many you can find. Some of the most popular wrought iron patterns take the shape of a curvy S, which when arranged in mirror image side by side creates a sort of heart shape with extra flourishes. This heart-shaped pattern may have originated as a popular fabric symbol first used on fabThese heart-shaped decorations placed on large window panes can help deter birds from being injured from crashing into the window. (Photo courtesy of Laura Eisener) ric for King Adinkra of Ghana. While the shape does resemble a heart, it is known as asoka – usually translated as “Go Back and Get It” or “Learn from the Past” – and another version of it is a bird looking back over its shoulder. Another shape, which is more clearly an open heart without the flourishes, does mean love, tolerance and understanding. Originally these symbols were patterns printed on fabric for royalty in west Africa, but some, esGARDENS | SEE PAGE 21 The garden at St. John’s Church became a winter wonderland after the snow on Saturday night. (Photo courtesy of Laura Eisener) An iron plant stand on a Lynnhurst porch has heart shapes that stand out against this week’s snow. (Photo courtesy of Laura Eisener) Blown Away Hair Boutique in Saugus Center has a window display that won’t let you forget what day it is! (Photo courtesy of Laura Eisener) The patterns in the metalwork on the Stanley W. Day Pumping Station in East Saugus can be imagined as the first letter of Saugus. (Photo courtesy of Laura Eisener) The snow moon shines through snow dusted tree branches. (Photo courtesy of Laura Eisener)
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