Saugus Gardens in the Spring

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

By Laura Eisener

How about that snow on Saturday morning! Maybe it was winter’s last hurrah! It was a rare opportunity to see Glory of the Snow (Scilla luciliae, formerly Chionodoxa luciliae) actually in its glory surrounded by snow! The latest spring snow I can remember was May 17, 2002, when the lilacs were in full bloom. It snowed a bit in Saugus, but I headed west on Route 2 to get some better pictures of snow on the lilac blossoms and the troops of a Civil War reenactment in Templeton, “armies” of both sides waking up in their canvas tents to find several inches of the white stuff on the ground of the “battlefields.” The snow this Sunday did amount to somewhat more in western parts of Massachusetts, as it did in that 2002 storm, but it pretty much melted without much fuss here, turning to rain around 8 a.m. The flowers for the most part recovered readily, but the early blooming magnolias (Magnolia soulangeana and Magnolia stellata and their hybrids) had a rough time with the cold nights. Many of these early magnolias’ blossoms browned up before they were fully open. It happens every few years; hopefully, those on the shadier sides of the street will still have a chance to open up without damage from cold weather. Those trees can be spectacular when the spring temperatures are cooperative.

Glory of the snow is a somewhat cumbersome name for such a tiny flower, but it comes from the former genus name, “Chion,” which is the Greek word for snow, and “Doxa,” which means glory. In French it is gloire de neige, and in Spanish gloria de la nieve, meaning the same thing in both those languages. Like many little bulbs, it originated in Turkey and has been available in bulb catalogs here at least since 1900. It is a member of the asparagus family (Asparagaceae), which currently includes over 2,000 species. Because it withstands a lot of inclement weather due to its early bloom time, this flower symbolizes resilience, hope and new beginning.

“LISTEN, my children, and you shall hear / Of the midnight ride of Paul Revere, / On the 18th of April, in Seventy-five”’ begins Longfellow’s poem “Paul Revere’s Ride,” and one of my entries in Books In Bloom was a lantern that I paired with a children’s book, “One if by Land: A Massachusetts Number Book” by Heidi E.Y. Stemple, which helps children learn numbers and interesting incidents in Massachusetts history at the same time. The combination of lantern and daffodils is now in my house as a decoration to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the Battles of Lexington and Concord, and the famous ride the night before. Almost every year, there are several different daffodil varieties in bloom around Patriots’ Day. This is an eventful weekend, including the last few days of Passover, Easter, Patriots’ Day (the original date today and the Monday holiday celebrated this year on April 21 making this a three-day weekend for the states of Massachusetts and Maine).

April is full of holidays celebrating spring and growing things. Luckily the weather improved dramatically on Monday, which was National Gardening Day, giving us all a chance to get some plants in the ground. Earth Day will be Tuesday, April 22, and Arbor Day is a week from today, and perhaps we will have a few springlike days to celebrate those events.

This spring we all probably wish eggs grew on trees! Egg trees are an Easter tradition in some parts of the world. Decorated eggs, real or artificial, can be hung on shrubs or trees as a symbol of new beginnings. I haven’t seen as many egg trees in Saugus this year, but there is at least one in Lynnhurst with daffodils blooming at its base and Lenten roses very bright and perky nearby because of recent rains.

Today is national garlic day. This ancient plant is used all around the world and has only become more popular over time. Ancient Roman soldiers and Greek athletes believed eating garlic made them stronger, and traditional lore says it can ward off vampires if worn around the neck or hung in the windows of the house.

Today also kicks off National Parks Week in the United States. It is eight days long since it runs from today until April 27. Some national parks that charge admission are free today. Of course, visiting the grounds of the Saugus Iron Works is always free, but the museum opens later in May and tours will not be given until that time.

  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.