 | Wild geranium
(Geranium maculatum) |
Unexpected beauty
We choose many of our native plants for their beauty in spring or summer, but we often forget how beautiful they can be in the fall. In the busy-ness of fall and the onset of chilly temperatures, we sometimes forget to continue enjoying our native plants.
The native wild geranium, also known as cranesbill, has charming flowers in spring, but their colorful leaves make it surprisingly beautiful in fall, too.
Wild geraniums are easy to grow in sun to partial shade in moist to moderately dry soil.
NOTE: Don't confuse our native geranium with the more commonly sold "named varieties" of hardy geraniums, which originate from all over the world.
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 | White nose syndrome
(Photo: US Fish & Wildlife)
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Bats at risk--but not by Halloween
Many, if not most, people fear bats, a scary Halloween icon. Most people "know" more myths, than facts about bats, though.
FACTS: They aren't blind, they don't get entangled in people's hair, and they seldom spread disease to people or other animals. Bat Conservation International (BCI) provides a number of informational flyers about everything you'd want to know about bats.
ANOTHER FACT: These mammals are critically important to the health of the natural world on which we depend. They pollinate plants, disperse seeds, and provide pest control.
ALARMING FACT: Bats are dying by the millions. According to BCI, since White-nose Syndrome was discovered in a single New York cave in Feb. 2006, more than a million hibernating bats of nine species have been killed by the disease in 14 states, causing "the most precipitous wildlife decline in the past century in North America," according to biologists. And it's continuing to spread to new areas. For more info...
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 | Photo by looseends/Melissa-Flikr
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The bitter truth about bittersweet
This is the time of year when we like to decorate our homes with natural materials. One of the most popular materials is bittersweet vines, with their bright orange berries.
The bitter truth: Even though many of these decorations are labeled as "all-natural" (which they are), they still can be a poor choice because most of the bittersweet offered is the invasive non-native Oriental bittersweet (Celastrus orbiculatus). When the season is done, it's generally thrown in the trash or onto the compost pile. Birds then eat the berries, and it further spreads this invasive vine. More about bittersweet...
Decorating alternatives: Grapevine wreaths, with holly berries, rosehips, or crabapples are an attractive alternative. For more ideas...
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Carolyn Summers Workshop on April 2, 2011. SAVE THE DATE! 
I'll be giving this presentation at the 