Saugus gardens in the fall

Here’s what’s blooming in town this week to make your walks more enjoyable

  Somehow Christmas seems to come earlier every year. The warm weather may have us feeling like it can’t possibly be winter yet, and indeed I took advantage of the not-yet-frozen soil to plant half a dozen shrubs that I’d been too busy to attend to before. To anyone else in the same boat, it’s not too late, but it’s certainly time to put this near the top of the to-do list. Many people started early to decorate, with warnings on the news of shortages on trees and decorations as we have gotten used to on such a wide range of commodities. The early planning seems to have paid off, since there seems to be no shortage of sparkle to bring cheer to the shortest days of the year.

  The biggest wreaths in town are at Kelly’s Roast Beef, and there are two, one for each of the big windows. I mentioned them briefly last week, but they are worth another look. For the past 25 years, the wreaths have been made by Northeast Nursery in Peabody, and it is no small undertaking. At 12 feet across, they become more impressive the closer you get to them. It takes two days to wire in the lights. The result is a beautiful and sturdy wreath that shines very brightly at night and which is large enough to frame the carousel horse in the front window. The natural fir used through the whole wreath is the reason for the wonderful aroma, which can compete even with the mouthwatering seafood when you pull into the parking lot!

  At Little Brook Florist & Garden Center on Lincoln Avenue, trees sold fast! Trees at many garden centers and tree farms have sold out earlier than in other years, and this was certainly the case here. While there are no more trees, there are still wreaths and log baskets and other holiday greenery. Andrea Hanafin, who works at Little Brook, says people often mention how much they like the personal touches – arrangements can have additions like a special ornament or a particular type of ribbon for the bow. One regular customer recently asked for a cardinal ornament to be added to an arrangement, as this bird has special meaning for their family, and the result was unique and stunning.

  When I went in on Tuesday, Andrea was busy making bows, and inside the shop there were plenty of seasonal flower arrangements ready for spontaneous shoppers as well as a wide array of pots, and many small gifts, charms and home decorations. Among the more unique garden items are the natural log reindeer and snowmen. When we bought a wreath for our car last week, I also couldn’t resist a deer, who now guards my porch – one of the workers picked out some balsam branches for the antlers and tail and placed them in the appropriate holes before we left the store so no assembly was required! There are still several sizes of deer and snowmen, and as I walked out today, I’m sure the eyes of at least one of the snowmen followed me.

  John Kane, the Boy Scouts of Troop 62 and many volunteers sold trees this season at Soc’s Ice Cream on Lynn Fells Parkway. The Boy Scouts have been selling Christmas trees as a fundraiser for about eight years, but in previous years they had a site on Route 107, the Salem Turnpike, where it meets Ballard Street. This is the first year they have been at Soc’s, and they sold 1,100 trees in two and a half weeks, so John says things went very well this year. In addition to trees, they had kissing balls, wreaths, log baskets and natural garlands. The Scouts appreciate everyone who came down and supported them this year. John mentioned that preparing for the tree sales is a year-long effort, as they have to place orders in the spring and do a lot of planning to make sure the trees arrive as planned.

  Allen Huberman, owner of Huberman’s Greenhouses on Vine Street, still has a good selection of trees for sale this week. Most trees have color-coded price tags to indicate whether they are balsam fir (Abies balsamea) or Fraser Fir (Abies fraseri). There are also wreaths and log arrangements, including some unusual white birch log baskets. They are the freshest possible trees, and indeed the needles all seemed to be in great condition on all the trees I looked at.

  Every week in December it seems the lights grow brighter and more numerous, and the fragrance of fir grows stronger! It’s worth seeking out the farthest corners of town, both in daylight and at night, to see how many people in town are using their talents to bring cheer to all their neighbors.

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.