THE SAUGUS ADVOCATE – FRIDAY, MARCH 25, 2022 Page 11 SAUGUS GARDENS IN THE SPRING Here’s what’s blooming in town this week to make your walks more enjoyable By Laura Eisener A ny walk around town will show many signs of spring this week – small herring were jumping in the river off the Saugus Iron Works pier; peepers have started their spring music in vernal pools; almost all traces of ice and snow are gone; and the fi rst fl owers are popping up in many gardens. I have nine diff erent things in bloom outdoors today: snowdrops (Galanthus nivalis), heath (Erica darleyensis ‘Mediterranean Pink’ – blooming since mid-February), crocus (Crocus tomassinianus and Dutch hybrids), ‘Katharine Hodgkin’ iris (Iris ‘Katharine Hodgkin’), hellebores (Helleborus orientalis), winter aconite (Eranthis hyemalis), Siberian squill (Scilla sibirica) and Chinese witch hazel (Hamamelis chinensis) were all in fl ower on March 20, and two daff odils (Narcissus spp.) joined them the following day. Three things are blooming right now which are members of the buttercup family (Ranunculaceae): Lenten rose (Helleborus orientalis) and winter aconite (Eranthis hyemalis) outside, Persian buttercup (Ranunculus asiatica) inside. The Lenten rose that was showing its dark red buds near the front steps back in late January finally decided that it was warm enough to completely open. These are hybrids similar to the ones that bloomed indoors back at the end of February, but they have been living outside for several years now. As soon as the temperatures indoors and outdoors are close enough to prevent shocking the plants, the indoor Lenten roses will be planted outside, where I MONTAUK DAISIES, which are among the last fl owers to bloom in fall, are among the earliest perennials that produce new leaves in spring. (Courtesy photo to The Saugus Advocate by Laura Eisener) THE UNDERSIDE OF A SNOWDROP shows its three small petals and three long sepals. (Courtesy photo to The Saugus Advocate by Laura Eisener) WINTER ACONITE provides nectar and shelter for an early bee. (Courtesy photo to The Saugus Advocate by Laura Eisener) PERSIAN BUTTERCUP, also known as ranunculus, has densely packed petals and is a great indoor plant for early spring. This one is an unusual two-tone color: white with a light lilac picotee edge. (Courtesy photo to The Saugus Advocate by Laura Eisener) hope to enjoy them for years to come. As evergreen perennials, the leaves remain green until nearly blooming time, then they begin to turn brownish and dry, while new leaves emerge around the same time as the new blooms. Indoors, the leaves do not dry out as noticeably. Winter aconite is one of the lesser-known early spring bulbs. It is one of the few bulbs that does not belong to the amaryllis family (AmaryllidaceEverett Aluminum 10 Everett Ave., Everett 617-389-3839 Owned & operated by the Conti Years! “Same name, phone number & address for over half a century. We must be doing something right!” f www.everettaluminum.com THE LENTEN ROSE beside my front steps fi nally bloomed this week. (Courtesy photo to The Saugus Advocate by Laura Eisener) ae) or the lily family (Liliaceae), but instead to the buttercup family. Looking at the bright yellow color, it is easy to understand its connection to common buttercups (Ranunculus acris), which may be weeds in our lawns later this spring. Part of the reason it is not as widely grown as some other early bloomers is that the tuber does not tolerate a long, dried out dormancy. It cannot take the long period of storage and shipping that tulip and daffodil bulbs can, and must be planted earlier in fall. Also, winter aconite is unusual in that it actually prefers to be somewhat shaded during the growing season. As with some other buttercup family members, the petals are nearly nonexistent, and it is the sepals which have the bright yellow color. The short-stalked fl owers are framed by tiny green leaves at bloom time. In England’s milder climate where the fl owers bloom a bit earlier in the calendar year than in New England, it is sometimes nicknamed “New Year’s Gift.” The species epithet “hyemalis” actually means wintery. Mine began blooming during last Friday’s warm weather. The first bee of the year was sleeping in it by sundown of that day and spent a good deal of Saturday clasped in the blossom. Like the crocus, which is also in bloom now, the fl ower closes at night and in cloudy or cold weather to protect the delicate parts from being damaged. While not common in our local gardens, a popular late winter/early spring greenhouse fl ower is Persian buttercup. Often simply called fl orists’ ranunculus, or sometimes misunderstood as ranuncula (singular) or ranunculas (plural), the blossom is so crowded with colorful petals it could compete with a rose. While in the wild in Eurasia fl owers are usually yellow, it now is available in almost every color except true blue. It prefers night temperatures that are cool, but not freezing, for fl owering. It is currently a popular cut fl ower as well as potted houseplant. It demands frequent watering and will wilt alarmingly if it dries out, but as long as it gets promptly watered it will be back to its beautiful self in just a few hours. Editor’s Note: Laura Eisener is a landscape design consultant who helps homeowners with landscape design, plant selection and placement of trees and shrubs, as well as perennials. She is a member of the Saugus Garden Club and off ered to write a series of articles about “what’s blooming in town” shortly after the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic. She was inspired after seeing so many people taking up walking. Spring is Here!
12 Publizr Home