We all have them

  A lose your mind moment

     You know them, when what you have just seen or heard, makes you come undone. I mean one of those “panties in a knot/twist/bunch” kind of moments, as The South is partial to saying. In the “gardener” part of my life, it doesn’t happen very often. I have pretty much seen it all. Mulch volcanoes, plants too deep, peonies in Houston and my personal favorite, professionals who leave tags (“Minnie Pearls” as my friend Suzanne calls them) hanging on plants after the landscaping is done.  A few weeks back, I had one of those moments in my yard. There I was, arriving home, after a long day and it looked like the thing I hate the most is laying in my yard. I almost lost my mind. How dare someone allow their dog to do THAT…in MY yard. I went through a litany of offended (and self-righteous) remarks as I went to retrieve the shovel and a bag. As I approached the Great Dane sized heap, I realized that this was not as it seemed and the last few steps left me thinking…what the heck is that?

DRUM ROLL…..

     Mushrooms. Just mushrooms. My indignation turned to amusement. Sometimes, you have to laugh at yourself.

     Four years ago, we had to cut down a 60 year old Water oak tree and since then, there has been a wide assortment of mushrooms sprouting throughout the front yard. Every year, brings a new group. This particular one on the right has its own “special” disguise. These seem to be growing away from where the tree stood.

 

     The one below is over 12 inched across! This kind grows very close to where the trunk of the tree was. These type grow right around the grass leaves and are really hard. It feels really soft and smooth to the touch. I like these the most so far. 

 

 

 

 

 

 The   one below looks wet and slimy, but is not.  It grows in rows, radiating away from the trunk. This one has a very hard stem and needs a strong kick to dislodge            them.                                                                                                                     There were about 30 in the lawn this week.

All normal and natural

     Mushrooms are an essential part of a healthy ecosystem. You just need to accept mushrooms for what they are, a simple part of nature. Don’t be afraid to remove them with your bare hands, none of them are that poisonous. Now, since I have a nursery to run, family to take care of and plans for August… I don’t exactly have time to become a mushroom expert. So, I spent a few minutes with my favorite tool, Google, and found some experts for you. Some of the sites were very scientific (and boring), but this one https://www.mushroomexpert.com/yard.html   was informative, easy to read and pretty funny. This one https://www.rogersmushrooms.com/ has really great pictures as well as loads of information too.