Page 12 THE SAUGUS ADVOCATE – FriDAy, AUGUST 23, 2024 Saugus Gardens in the Summer Here’s what’s blooming in town this week to make your walks more enjoyable By Laura Eisener I f you walk or drive around the sharp curves on Central Street near Saugus Iron Works, your attention will be captured by a patch of vivid colored zinnias between the sidewalk and street near Marion Road. A small sign among the blossoms gives information about this garden planted to benefit the pollinators, such as bees, butterflies and many other insects that help pollinate many different plants. The gardener preferred to remain anonymous, but we had a nice talk about the beautiful spot that is getting attention from many different species at this time of year. In bloom right now are zinnias in an array of bright colors and annual cornflowers (Centaurea cyanus) in tints of blue and other colors. Feathery leaves of cosmos (Cosmos bipinnatus) suggest that these flowers will soon be in bloom here as well. On a recent visit, the garden was buzzing with activity, as several kinds of insects, including several bee species, were collecting pollen and nectar from blossoms. For anyone considering planting for the pollinators, great information is available from a number of websites, including monarchwatch.org, which certifies monarch waystations in public and private gardens in at least 12 countries. Monarch butterflies (Danaus plexippus) are among the most loved butterflies, and their long migrations to South America are the longest journeys undertaken by any insect. Many gardeners are trying to support these butterflies by providing suitable habitat for them, including food sources and the plants they need as breeding host plants, which are several Many species of bees pollinate a variety of flowers, including this bumblebee seen on a zinnia near Central Street. (Photo courtesy of Laura Eisener) species of temperate climate milkweed (Asclepias spp.). Like many other pollinators, monarchs need a variety of plants that bloom at different times spring through fall to help them survive, as well as host plants for breeding. Anyone walking by the little garden across from the ironworks is likely to see many pollinators at work here during the day. On a recent visit I saw many kinds of bees as well as several skipper butterflies among the zinnias. The skippers are members of a large butterfly family (Hesperiidae), including about 3,500 species, which have small hooks at the ends of their antennae. While most butterflies require other host species for breeding, one of the ornamental shrubs that seems to attract the most species of butterflies is the appropriately named non-native butterfly bush (Buddleia davidii), also sometimes called summer lilac for its fragrant flowers. A tree I have always wanted is the Franklin tree (Franklinia alatamaha), a native North American species with an interThis monarch butterfly forages for pollen on one of its favorite plants, butterfly bush. (Photo courtesy of Laura Eisener) esting species. Discovered near the Altamaha River (the river name is now spelled differently than the tree’s species epithet) in Georgia by John Bartram and his son William, all known living examples descend from some seeds William Bartram collected on a trip between 1774 and 1777. The original trees became essentially extinct during the 18th or early 19th century, and the reasons may be climate change or disease, although the population seems to have been fairly small when they were first discovered. The healthiest trees seem to grow in places colder than Georgia, and the Arnold Arboretum in Boston has a spectacular example that I used to take my Radcliffe Seminars students to see on field trips every fall. There is at least one at Prescott Park in Portsmouth, N.H., and nursFranklinia is a native North American tree that blooms in late summer – often continuing into October. (Photo courtesy of Laura Eisener) eries occasionally carry them. My father-in-law, Walter Kenworthy, once had two in his garden in Pelham, N.Y. Named for John Bartram’s friend Benjamin Franklin (perhaps you have heard of him!), the large white flowers bloom from August until October, at which point the leaves may take on their vivid red fall foliage color. It is a member of the tea family (Theaceae) along with camellias (Camellia spp.), including the plant from whose leaves tea is made (Camellia sinensis). A charming garden on the Central Street curve caters to butterflies and other pollinators. (Photo courtesy of Laura Eisener) This skipper butterfly is seeking pollen from one of the zinnias growing in the roadside pollinator garden. (Photo courtesy of Laura Eisener) 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 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
13 Publizr Home