THE SAUGUS ADVOCATE – FriDAy, SEpTEmbEr 9, 2022 Page 13 Saugus Gardens in the Summer Here’s what’s blooming in town this week to make your walks more enjoyable By Laura Eisener A lex Manoogian has more trees in his Lynnhurst yard than most of us, but they cast very little shade. He is a grower of bonsai trees. Some of his works of art are so small as to fit on the porch railing, while others are in large containers and occupy areas several feet across. You might think in looking over his collection that he had been doing this for decades, but in fact he and his sister got started at the beginning of the pandemic. Alex had seen bonsai trees in the Topsfield Fair and other exhibitions and admired them, but the changes of activities 2020 demanded opened up time to pursue some new projects. After taking classes at Bonsai West in Littleton and New England Bonsai Gardens in Bellingham, he has developed his skills. He won a blue ribbon for one of his little trees at the Topsfield Fair last year. He is now president of the Northeast Bonsai Association, which meets at the Topsfield fairgrounds and encourages its members to learn more about bonsai and share their interest and experiences with each other. The trees in Alex’s yard are extremely varied. He has classic bonsai subjects like juniper and pine but has also been experimenting with woody plant species that I have never before seen made into bonsai – such as oakleaf hydrangea (Hydrangea quercifolia) and lantana (Lantana camara). Some of the trees in his garden are in early stages of training while others are well established plants older than he is. An example of the latter is a silverberry (Eleagnus commutata) that was started by bonsai master Mr. Hatanaka around 1950 and maintained for many years by Bonsai West before Alex acquired it. Another very impressive specimen is a ginkgo (Ginkgo biloba) of uncertain age which has an extremely ancient and windswept appearance that Alex has emphasized by carving, PROMOTIONS | FROM PAGE 9 the town’s youths. We’re just trying to keep the kids happy and safe,” she said. One of those partners in new programs that involve the town youths may be the Saugus Senior Center. “I want to collaborate with Crystal and do intergenerational programs,” Davis said in an interThis forest-style bonsai display by Alex Manoogian features native American larch trees and mosses grown on flagstone rock layers he glued together himself. (Courtesy photo to The Saugus Advocate by Laura Eisener) Many bonsai trees in various stages of training line Alex Manoogian’s back porch. (Courtesy photo to The Saugus Advocate by Laura Eisener) This bonsai requires just a bit more work before it is ready for this year’s Topsfield Fair. (Courtesy photo to The Saugus Advocate by Laura Eisener) pruning and wiring branches. It’s hard to pick favorites in such a varied collection, but one which appealed to me particularly is a forest planting of nine American larch trees (Larix laricina) Alex started from tiny seedlings and planted on some broken flagstones he glued together to create the appearance of rock outcrop. He carefully planted native moss around the trees and added a handful of peastone in one area, so the finished scene is a miniature landscape with intriguing landform and trees of varying heights. Alex particularly likes developing bonsai specimens from North American native species. American view. “Our outreach worker, Cheryl Roberto, wants to bring back the pen pal program, pairing up grade school children with seniors. And eventually we’d love to extend the program to the local nursing homes because they’re residents of Saugus,” she said. “Before COVID-19, we had kids come up on holidays larch is a deciduous conifer – its needles turn color and then drop in the fall, like the weeping European larch (Larix decidua ‘pendula’) in the circle at Cliftondale – and soft new needles emerge in spring. This year’s Topsfield Fair runs September 30 until October 10. At least one of Alex’s bonsai, a beautiful Japanese garden juniper (Juniperus procumbens nana), is being groomed for entry into the fair this year. 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 and read poems and sing songs. We’d love to be able to bring back some of the old programs and new ones,” she said. Davis already has a close connection to the Youth & Recreation Department. Her husband – Precinct 4 Town Meeting Member Glen Davis – has been a longtime member of Saugus Youth & This diagonal trunked ginkgo has been trained and pruned to appear centuries old. (Courtesy photo to The Saugus Advocate by Laura Eisener) Like the rest of us, this ginkgo leaf appreciates the drops of rain that finally fell early this week. (Courtesy photo to The Saugus Advocate by Laura Eisener) the Saugus Garden Club and offered to write a series of articles about “what’s blooming in town” shortly after the outRecreation Committee and has been involved in a lot of youth sports in town over the years. Her father-in-law, Bob Davis, is superintendent of World Series Park. “I’m so humbled and overwhelmed by all of the support I have received from the community. My board [Council on Aging] backed me with a letter of recommendation to the break of the COVID-19 pandemic. She was inspired after seeing so many people taking up walking. town manager. And I received support from the chairman of the Board of Selectmen,” Davis said of the backing she received for the director’s job at the Senior Center. “I’m very happy about getting appointed [director] and know I can do them proud. This is a job I really love and look forward to doing for the next 10 years,” she said.
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