THE SAUGUS ADVOCATE – FRIDAY, JULY 16, 2021 Page 15 SAUGUS GARDENS IN THE SUMMER Here’s what’s blooming in town this week to make your walks more enjoyable By Laura Eisener A very popular spot for walks is the Saugus Ironworks. It is also one of the locations where there are the fewest mosquitos, since barn swallows (Hirundo rustica) who nest in the rafters of several buildings keep the insect population controlled. In addition to the barn swallows, who will be here until late August when they migrate south, birds such as herons, egrets and ospreys frequently fish in the river. Many other kinds of wildlife are often seen. Views of the river change over the course of each day as the tide comes in and goes out. Many visitors come to the site to take FAIRY CANDLES: next to the Appleton-Taylor-Mansfield House at the Saugus Ironworks. (Courtesy photo to The Saugus Advocate by Laura Eisener) BEAUTY BY THE RIVER: purple flowering raspberry on the banks of the Saugus River near the blacksmith shop. (Courtesy photo to The Saugus Advocate by Laura Eisener) as bugbane, black cohosh and snakeroot (Actaea racemosa, formerly Cimicifuga racemosa) – beside the Appleton-Taylor-Mansfield House has tall stalks with creamy white flowers. This is a native North American perennial species. A closely related Asian species (Actaea simplex) is more often sold in nurseries, especially the dark foliaged forms, such as ‘Brunette,’ ‘Chocoholic’ and ‘Black Negligee,’ but our native one blooms almost two months earlier. Many medical properties have been attributed to this plant over the centuries. The name bugbane refers to the fact that few insects eat the foliage, but bees are not at all deterred from foraging for HUMMINGBIRD MOTH: Also known as humming bug, it flutters in Kathy Murphy’s garden. (Courtesy photo to The Saugus Advocate by KMH Murphy) nectar in the blossoms. The flowers do have a rather odd scent that some people find unattractive. Purple flowering raspberry – also sometimes called thimbleGARDENS | SEE PAGE 17 PRAYING MANTIS: resting on butterfly stonecrop, which is also known as showy stonecrop (Hylotelephium spectabile). (Courtesy photo to The Saugus Advocate by KMH Murphy) SEEING ITSELF: a praying mantis that seems to be admiring its reflection in a parked car headlight. (Courtesy photo to The Saugus Advocate by KMH Murphy) pictures or to paint, and it is a popular site for birders because of the varied habitats, all in a fairly small area a short walk from the center of town. The garden around the Appleton-Taylor-Mansfield House has many beautiful flowers, some of which were well known in the 17th century. This garden was planted by the New England Unit of the Herb Society of America and the Saugus Garden Club in the 1970’s with labels describing the 17th century uses of each species, but over the years many of the plants have been replaced with other varieties which have more attractive flowers. This garden is flowering especially lavishly now, and there are many plants in bloom elsewhere on the site, including the nature trail on the lower section of the site on the east bank of the river. Fairy candles – also known
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