THE SAUGUS ADVOCATE – FriDAy, JUly 19, 2024 Page 17 Saugus Gardens in the Summer Here’s what’s blooming in town this week to make your walks more enjoyable By Laura Eisener S unday, July 21, will be the date of this month’s full moon, often called the Buck Moon, since this is the season that antlers on male deer typically reach their full growth for mating season. It is also sometimes called the Thunder Moon because thunderstorms are common during this month, and Corn Moon since the first ears of corn may ripen in some areas in July. In our gardens, many plants are in bloom. Margie Berkowitch enjoys the cheerful “Blackeyed Susies” (Rudbeckia hirta) blooming in her front yard a short walk from the old Ballard School in East Saugus. The bright yellow flowers, also sometimes called gloriosa daisies, are favorites with many people and brighten the days throughout most of the summer. Another beautiful flower blooming in Margie’s garden now is the Easter lily (Lilium longiflorum), a long trumpet shaped pure white lily. It is her second year with Easter lilies blooming in her garden. Often these lilies are sold at Easter time and can be maintained indoors as a house plant until the ground is thawed and warmed up enough to plant in the garden. If you have cats, all lilies must be kept completely away from them as they are very poisonous and can be fatal even in small quantities. In milder climates or in a greenhouse, it may bloom in April or even earlier, but not until June outdoors in our climate. A similar white lily is the fragrant Madonna lily (Lilium candidum), which is also sometimes sold at Easter. The true Easter lily has larger flowers and grows on a shorter plant, while the Madonna lily may have a stem up to a foot taller (4 feet), and its somewhat smaller blossoms have a stronger fragrance. Ruth Berg’s hydrangea (Hydrangea macrophylla), like many in town, is doing especially well this year. Its large spherical flower clusters are deep blue and purple in color. They are most likely the variety ‘Endless Summer’ or the closely related ‘Bloomstruck.’ If you admire Ruth’s hydrangea, you may notice that she has painted her front door to match! Both are set off by her white house, and it is a good example of how trim and door color may work with seasonal colors in the landscape to enhance the appreciation of both. Barn swallows (Hirundo rustica) are nesting at the Saugus Iron Works National Historic Site. These intriguing birds are a natural form of mosquito control. The landscape on the Iron Works’ upper lawn is congenial for the Wednesday night summer concerts in part because of the work these birds do! The open buildings at the national park are ideal to serve as these birds’ nest locations, as they like to attach their nests to the rafters with a mud mixture that cements it to the support. The site provides all the needed materials – mud from the Saugus River, grasses, cattails and a variety of leaves to fill in the nest mixture and softer leaves to line it – their own feathers make it soft and cozy. The location makes it difficult for predators, such as hawks, to reach the nest, and the roofs of the buildings also protect it from rain and storms. The river location also would provide a lot of food for these birds, since mosquitoes who like wet spots for breeding are important in their diet. Barn swallows do eat other insects as well, such as flies, and sometimes dragonflies and moths. “Black-eyed Susies” bloom in the Ballard School neighborhood at the home of Margie Berkowitch. (Photo courtesy of Margie Berkowitch) The adult birds are quite attractive, with iridescent bluish black heads, backs and tails. Males have reddish breasts while females have a lighter, mostly tan breast. Both have forked tails which can be observed when flying and when at rest, helping with identification as they flit about the site to catch prey. Barn swallows are migratory, and they usually leave here near the end of August for their flight to South America for the winter. Sunday morning, June 28, from 9 a.m. to noon there will be another special event at the Saugus Iron Works, open to everyone, which strives to promote access to birding and nature to people of all abilities and backgrounds, similar to the one which was held in late June. 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 A barn swallow brings food to its nestlings in the forge at the Saugus Iron Works National Historic Site. (Photo courtesy of Laura Eisener) 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. Ruth Berg’s favorite hydrangeas match her front door. (Photo courtesy of Laura Eisener) Easter lilies may be hardy in our climate but bloom closer to the fourth of July! (Photo courtesy of Margie Berkowitch)
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