Page 16 THE SAUGUS ADVOCATE – FriDAy, DECEmbEr 13, 2024 Saugus Gardens in the Fall Here’s what’s blooming in town this week to make your walks more enjoyable By Laura Eisener D ecember 15 is the December full moon, often called the cold moon. On the night of the town tree lighting last Friday, the moon was a waxing crescent shining over the Civil War monument on the rotary. It continues to shine brighter this week as it heads toward full on Sunday. Mass Audubon regularly holds its Christmas Bird Watch for several days in the winter to gather information about what species of birds are in what areas, and if numbers and ranges have changed. For this year, it begins on December 15, 2024, and ends on January 5, 2025. This is a citizen science project, now in its 125th year, that connects wild bird enthusiasts in local groups to count birds they see as they go on walks, watch visitors to their feeder or even drive around on daily errands. Detailed information can be found on the website below, and anyone can register to participate. https:// www.audubon.org/news/everything-you-need-know-dofree-and-fun-christmas-birdcount? Often some of the summer birds have migrated farther south while other species stay around or may even have come down to our area for the winter after having been farther north in the summer. One of the most popular winter visitors to our local feeders is the northern cardinal (Cardinalis cardinalis). Adult male cardinals have a vivid red plumage, while females are mostly an olive color, with some hints of reddish on their crest feathers. Both males and females have vivid red-orange beaks as adults, while young birds generally have duller beak colors until they are full grown. Cardinals have become more common in Massachusetts in recent decades, according to scientists who make note of the bird count and other “bird census” observations. Their numbers have increased in northern states and Canada, which may be due to warmA northern cardinal perches in an elderberry bush in Lynnhurst. (Photo courtesy of Laura Eisener) On the night of the town tree lighting, the waxing crescent moon could be seen over the town center, helping to illuminate the festivities. (Photo courtesy of Laura Eisener) ing temperatures or to this species generally being on the increase. They can eat quite a wide range of foods, including insects and fruits, but seeds tend to be their favorite. Lights and decorations are increasing in the homes and businesses all over town. Lavish lawn displays can be found in many neighborhoods, including the Lynn Fells Parkway area, which has drawn visitors to see the lights for as long as I can remember, dating back to the 1960s when my family would always spend one evening in the Christmas season driving around the parkway and adjacent streets to admire the decorations. During the 1920s, Saugus was known for its Christmas lights in another part of town – special trains were added during this season to the rail line from Boston to take people to see the lights at Peckham’s Sunken Gardens, which was next to the railroad track near where the bike trail crosses Central Street today. Metal arbors wrapped with greens as well as living trees were lit with small electric lights, at a time when these were not nearly as common as today. The first lights for Christmas trees were candles, which of course required vigilance to keep them from igniting the tree. Electric lights were much safer and could be kept lit for a much longer time, but early electric lights did create heat, which could ignite dry needles. The cool light of LED lights saves electricity and helps make it less likely for the lighting to cause a fire, but, of course, there is still some risk if the lights malfunction or if the tree is dry. In my childhood, C9 bulbs were the ones used to wrap the Christmas tree, and the newer tiny lights were a great novelty when they became available. Now there are programmable lights that can change color, blink at different speeds or produce a variety of effects that could hardly be imagined a decade or so ago. 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 Santa seems to have become a dragon rider in this unusual holiday scene on Taylor Street. (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. A small decorated tree in the common room of Saugus Cable TV is one of many festive decorations at 30 Main St. (Photo courtesy of Laura Eisener) Anyone walking around Saugus Center in the evening can enjoy the red and white lighted tree (Saugus colors) through the window at the Saugus Historical Society. (Photo courtesy of Laura Eisener)
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