Mushroom

Earlier in my gardening career I had much more time for discovery, and finding fresh mushrooms was one of my delights. I'd grab my point-and-shoot Canon set to macro mode, lay down on the grass or mulch or whatever, and snap away.

These days I'm still excited by mushrooms, especially when a big one pops up after a few days of rain. (If you don't think you have enough mushrooms in your garden, get tree chippings. The free mulch I use contains plenty of fungal spores it seems.) I noticed this one the other day, then saw it ripped out the next morning -- probably by a raccoon. So I grabbed it, flipped it over, and started snapping photos.

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If you don't regularly take a close look at mushrooms, you're missing out. These are fascinating "blooms" (fleshy, fruiting bodies of underground fungus), and can be quite beautiful.

Any good mushrooms in your garden this fall?


More of my mushroom photos: part 1, part 2

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