Page 14 THE SAUGUS ADVOCATE – FriDAy, JUnE 27, 2025 Saugus Gardens in the Summer Here’s what’s blooming in town this week to make your walks more enjoyable By Laura Eisener S augus Garden Club member Nancy Sayles and her husband Lloyd Sayles have a delightful garden throughout the growing season, with all sorts of plants to attract pollinators. Right now it is absolutely full of bright yellow, orange and red flowers, as the yellow sundrops (Oenothera fruticosa), threadleaf tickseed (Coreopsis verticillata ‘Zagreb’), ‘Moonshine’ yarrow (Achillea tomentosa ‘Moonshine’), ‘Vintage Red’ yarrow (Achillea ‘Vintage Red’) and orange butterfly weed (Asclepias tuberosa) are loaded with flowers. Several of these perennials are known for blooming repeatedly throughout the summer. If the faded blossoms are removed regularly, the tickseed will flower continuously from June until late October. Sundrops (Oenothera fruticosa) are the daytime blooming cousins of the taller evening primrose (Oenothera biennis), which opens its blossoms just before dusk. Sundrops typically grow 2-3 feet tall, and their primary pollinators are bees. Hummingbirds also like the nectar, and the seeds are eaten by a variety of birds, especially goldfinches. They are native to 30 U.S. states, including all of the New England ones. In our area they are likely to keep blooming until August. One of the perennials most needed by butterflies is the bright orange butterfly weed (Asclepias tuberosa) which is a host plant for monarch butterflies (Danaus plexippus). It is one of a few species of milkweed, including common milkweed (Asclepias syriaca), swamp milkweed (Asclepias incarnata) and a few other milkweed species, that can support the young caterpillar from egg hatching until it becomes a butterfly. The diet of milkweed allows the monarch larvae to become bad tasting and even poisonous to potential predators, while supplying all its necessary nutrients. Butterfly weed is also the plant that the famous New England poet Robert Frost wrote about in “The Tuft of Flowers” where he is involved in the hay industry. Someone mowed a field earlier in the morning, and it is his job to turn the mowed grass over to aid its drying. It seems a lonely task since he and the mower before him perform their task without seeing anyone else. When a butterfly calls his attention to the tuft of butterfly weed that the mower left standing, Frost feels there has been some communication of shared feeling for the flowers and, perhaps, for the butterfly between the earlier worker who did the mowing, A mother duck and her 11 babies swam in the shallow water of the Saugus River at the Iron Works turning basin at low tide. (Photo courtesy of Laura Eisener) Splish, splash! A grackle took a bath to cool off from the heat earlier this week. (Photo courtesy of Laura Eisener) and he who followed after. Two species of yarrow, ‘Zagreb’ tickseed blooms in the front yard garden of Nancy and Lloyd Sayles in Lynnhurst. (Photo courtesy of Laura Eisener) while not native, add color to the garden and supply nectar to pollinators, especially several species of bees. The hybrid ‘Moonshine’ yarrow has bright yellow flowers in flat clusters and silvery foliage. Both add a lot of visual interest over most of the summer. ‘Vintage Red’ yarrow, a taller species with green ferny leaves, is also a long bloomer, and both of these are unlikely to be eaten by rabbits or other wildlife because of the scent of the leaves. With the hot weather we have had for several days this week, access to water for cooling off has been important for people and wildlife. The birdbath in my garden has had plenty of use Orange butterfly weed and yellow sundrops bloom in the Sayles garden this week. (Photo courtesy of Laura Eisener) The lacy white flowers of elderberry are attractive and abundant in June. (Photo courtesy of Laura Eisener) GARDENS | SEE PAGE 15
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