THE SAUGUS ADVOCATE – FriDAy, JUnE 26, 2026 Page 7 Saugus Gardens in the Summer Here’s what’s blooming in town this week to make your walks more enjoyable By Laura Eisener T here are so many flowers blooming during the months surrounding the longest day of the year that it is hard to narrow it down to mentioning just a few. Roses would be the first flower most people would think of, but peonies might be a close second. There are so many other less wellknown flowers that deserve a mention and which can add excitement to our gardens. Named for a phrase in our national anthem, ‘Rockets’ Red Glare’ torch lily (Kniphofia ‘Pyromania Rockets’ Red Glare’) must surely be one of the most popular flowering perennials this summer as we celebrate the 250th anniversary of the Revolution. If you imagine the StatOPERATION CLEAN SWEEP | FROM PAGE 5 vations’ commitment to giving back to the community. “The momentum we’ve seen around these volunteer efforts has been inspiring and shows the pride people have in our town,” Federico said. Some Town Meeting members brought their children. Town Meeting Precinct 9 member Jaime Lincoln said it’s been a busy spring, but they are thankful that they had the morning open to help pick up trash around the community. “Having the kids be involved is important so they can see why it’s important to keep the community clean on a daily basis,” Jaime Lincoln said. “They enjoyed helping, and we hope to do it again.” Her daughter, Adrianna Lincoln, 7, said they did something awesome for the planet. “It was so much fun,” Adrianna said. Town Meeting member Precinct 1 Ashley Nichols said her kids finally had a morning off, and they wanted them to do something for the community. “They had a great time cleaning up the trash along the rail trail and near their WIN Waste Innovations staff and Selectmen Anthony Cogliano and Frank Federico displayed the banner. school,” Nichols said. “It was a great start to their summer vacation -- they all want to do it again!” Her daughter, Emersyn Nichols, 8, said she, her friends’ mothers, and her friends helped the town. “It was the best day,” Emersyn said. WIN Waste Innovations staffers, shown from left to right: Mechanic Juan Barrios, Electric and Instrumentation Technician Justin Tejada, Purchasing Analyst Alex DeCecca, Senior Operations Manager Steven Cotta, Operations Specialist Norma Giraldi and Mechanic Quinn McSweeney found a Gatorade box, cigarette butts and juice bottles while cleaning. ue of Liberty choosing a bouquet, you would surely expect her to choose the torch lily! Other common names for it are red hot poker and African flame flower. It is long blooming and lives up to its name with spikes of blossoms that start out as red buds and become orange to yellow when they open, eventually fading to almost white. For weeks the spikes will have two colors, as the tiers of buds open and then fade. The lower blossoms on the spike open first and become yellow, while the buds at the top remain red for a week or more. More spikes are likely to follow later, so unlike many perennials this is not a “one and done” plant. Other varieties of torch lily are similarly flame-like colors, but the proportions of red, orange and yello y vy y g A male tiger swallowtail flies through the foliage foraging for flowers. (Photo courtesy of Laura Eisener) In addition to their eye-catching vivid color and shape, torch lilies have other useful garden characteristics. They are attractive to bees, butterflies and hummingbirds and are resistant to being eaten by deer or about three feet tall. It likes sun. The leaves are long and narrow, almost grasslike, and it goes well with ornamental grasses. Another bright and cheery perennial in bright red and yellow is Indian pink, also known as Colina pinkoot (Spigelia The torch lily named ‘Rockets’ Red Glare’ must be one of the best perennials for our gardens as we celebrate the nation’s 250th birthday, as well as for years to come. (Photo courtesy of Laura Eisener) GARDENS | SEE PAGE 11 WIN Waste Innovations Second Class Mechanic José Gonzalez and WIN Plant Manager Elliott Casey found metal while cleaning up the rail trail. WIN Waste Innovations Laborer Geraldo Garcia found a plant pot while cleaning the rail trail.
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