THE SAUGUS ADVOCATE – FRIDAY, APRIL 1, 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 I f anyone felt discouraged by the cold weather earlier in the week, the warming trend should be reassuring. It can’t be too much longer before we see that most beloved sign of spring, the fi rst mosquito. Happy April fi rst! Despite the ups and downs of the temperatures this week, spring is sneaking up on us slowly but surely. Pussy willows (Salix discolor) are in full flower on the riverbank at the Saugus Iron Works. People are hearing spring peepers (Pseudacris crucifer) in the vernal ponds. Fish were jumping near the Iron Works dock a week ago, and Saugus’s most celebrated avian residents, the bald eagles (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) are now sitting on eggs. According to reports I have heard from our many eager eagle watchers, we have at least two eagle couples nesting nearby, and another pair are living just next door at Suntaug Lake in Lynnfi eld. Cool temperatures ensure the early spring fl owers bloom for several weeks. Warmer weather will bring other fl owers but mark the end to snowdrops and crocuses. Several plants opened before the end of March that I typically associate with April, such as the dandelions and daff odils. A general rule of thumb with daff odils is that the shorter varieties bloom earliest and taller varieties are likely to open in late April or even May. A sunny corner of my garden brought blossoms out before the weekend snow, while those on the opposite side of the house are showing buds but not yet open. While real flamingos (Phoenicopterus spp.) are not fans of New England winters, the plastic lawn ornaments famously created by Leominster, Mass., naA COMING ATTRACTION: The fi rst fl amingo of spring can be seen on the trail near Prankers Pond. (Courtesy photo to The Saugus Advocate by Laura Eisener) tive Don Featherstone seem to thrive here. Most garden fl amingos can’t be put out in the winter because the frozen ground won’t accept their metal stakes, but now that the ground has mostly thawed we can take a few stabs at outdoor displays. Real birds of other kinds can be seen fl ying north, and the male goldfi nches are gradually regaining their golden summer plumage as they now have some gold and some beige feathers. One of the most divisive plants to discuss in any gathering would be the dandelion (Taraxacum offi cinale) – usually loved by small children and despised by lawn enthusiasts, with everyone else lining up with strong opinions one way or another. I never outgrew my delight at seeing it light up the early spring landscape. It may not be blooming in lawns quite yet, but where the pavement heats up around a crack where a seed has blown and taken root, we see some very intrepid blossoms. The little “lion’s” faces outside the old fi re station were the fi rst ones I’ve seen this year. Everett 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 FEEDING TIME: A northern blue jay (Cyanocitta cristata bromia) and red-bellied woodpecker (Melanerpes carolinus) squabble over seeds outside my dining room window. (Courtesy photo to The Saugus Advocate by Laura Eisener) KING PROTEA: Indoors we can still enjoy this fl ower from the other side of the world. Also called sugarbush or honeypot, this is the national fl ower of South Africa. (Courtesy photo to The Saugus Advocate by Laura Eisener) WELCOME YELLOW BLOOM: Daff odils (Narcissus spp.) bloomed outdoors despite a dusting of snow on Sunday morning in Lynnhurst. (Courtesy photo to The Saugus Advocate by Laura Eisener) Indoors there are still many plants in bloom that we have been enjoying for much of the winter. A few, like the geraniums (Pelargonium spp.), always respond to the lengthening days and produce some new fl owers at this time of year. If the wind is blowing too hard to go outside and look for signs of spring, a bouquet or two indoors can help bring its own kind of warmth. This week one of the cut fl owers I am enjoying is king protea, so named because the fl ower resembles a crown. To some, the fl ower resembles a globe artichoke (Cynara carONE OF THE MOST DIVISIVE PLANTS: Dandelions at the squad door of the old fi re station on Hamilton Street are a sure sign of spring. (Courtesy photo to The Saugus Advocate by Laura Eisener) dunculus var. scolymus), and indeed its species epithet cynaroides means “resembling an artichoke.” Also called sugarbush or honeypot, king protea is the national fl ower of South Africa and is native to that country, which is experiencing the beginning of fall rather than of spring. It is one of the more startling fl owers in a vase because of its size but also its appearance, which is considerably diff erent from most of the wild and cultivated fl owers we are used to seeing. The plant it grows on is a fi re-resistant shrub with leathery foliage that also offers protection from many pests. It is pollinated not only by bees and beetles but also by Cape sugarbirds and several varieties of sunbirds that land on the large blossoms to sip its nectar. 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 offered 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!
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