Page 10 THE SAUGUS ADVOCATE – FRIDAY, APRIL 29, 2022 SAUGUS GARDENS IN THE SPRING Here’s what’s blooming in town this week to make your walks more enjoyable By Laura Eisener T oday is Arbor Day, and many individuals and groups across the SEEDS OF TOMORROW: Tiny samaras forming on red maple will travel on the wind later this spring to create new trees. (Courtesy photo to The Saugus Advocate by Laura Eisener) country are observing it by planting trees and engaging in activities that promote appreciation and preservation of trees. Sterling Morton, a Nebraska journalist, proposed the fi rst Arbor Day in Nebraska in 1872, and it was celebrated on April 10 that year. Morton’s enthusiasm for trees never waned. The idea grew and spread. It continues to be an important spring event today. In 1972, on the 100th anniversary of the original Arbor Day, the Arbor Day Foundation was established to encourage the planting of trees around the world. One of its best-known programs, Tree City USA, was begun in 1976. Saugus has been a Tree City USA for 23 years. In the last 50 years, the Arbor Day Foundation has planted and distributed nearly 500 million trees in more than 50 countries around the world. Currently, National Arbor Day is observed on the last Friday in April. Actual tree planting events may be held around that time or at the best planting time depending on climate in various parts of the United States. For us, late April is an ideal time for planting trees as the soil has warmed and temperatures are appropriate. The year 2022 marks the 150th year that Arbor Day has been celebrated, and 50 years since the founding of the Arbor Day Foundation. One of the most dramatic trees in town is the large American elm (Ulmus americana) at the intersection of Main Street and Route 1. Its location at the edge of the Saugus VFW S/Sgt. Arthur F. DeFranzo Post 2346 Bridge and not far from Saugus High School means that many people pass this tree every day. It is a remnant of the great elms that once lined many American streets in the 19th century, including many streets in Saugus. Most died of Dutch elm disease in the 20th century, but a few remain, and breeders have developed some new varieties resistant to Dutch elm disease. One such resistant tree, a ‘Valley Forge’ elm, was planted in 2015 at the Saugus Ironworks — donated by the Saugus Tree Committee for the 200th anniversary of Saugus’s incorporation as a town separate from Lynn. The AN ARBOR DAY DELIGHT: This magnifi cent elm at the corner of Route 1 and Main Street is the remnant of street trees that used to be common in many towns in the 19th century. (Courtesy photo to The Saugus Advocate by Laura Eisener) SPRING BLOOMER: One of a pair of pale yellow magnolias on the Roby School lawn — these are among the earliest trees to fl ower. (Courtesy photo to The Saugus Advocate by Laura Eisener)
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