adventures, Wellbeing
Published on November 25, 2020
Comments 22

Mushroom growing update: me vs every forest creature. But I won!

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Remember when I said I was making a Wine Cap mushroom bed under my old lime tree? Well little did I know, as I toiled to layer the cardboard, bark chips, and compost, but I was being watched by a number of excited forest crittters, waiting to see what gifts I was bringing them.

I very quickly found little scratch marks and tiny holes dug out all along the sides of the bed…

“No way buddies! I’ve worked too hard for this!”

So as you can see, I went back to the hardware store, and bought metal stakes and netting to protect my magical mushies.

Determination can be my middle name, and hang the extra expense.

Didn’t work. Damn critters just dug in under the netting, even though I’d then weighed the sides down with rocks, boulders, and thick branches.

I felt a little disheartened, and stopped checking every day, wondering if I should transfer the bed to my fully-fenced secure veggie garden… Can one dig up mushrooms and just shift them I wondered?

But then one morning I happened to walk past, and look what I saw:

ONE gorgeous, proud, unexpected Wine Cap mushroom, glowing in the soft light of dawn. Woohoo! one proud Mama here. It tasted delicious in my fresh pasta, basil and cherry tomato lunch. I imagined various mushie dishes, and baskets of ‘shrooms to hand out to my delighted friends…

Then I had not one more growth.

Boohoo.

Until yesterday:

A veritable bouquet of Wine Caps! I was very happy, and had to share my excitement, in the light of all the crazy politics and virus dramas still going on around the world.

Wherever you are reading this, may you be safe, and warm, with a full belly, preferably of mushrooms.

What’s your favourite way to eat them?

In gratitude for mycelium & soil, G xO

22 Comments

  2. gigglingfattie's avatar
    gigglingfattie says

    Woooowww!!! 1) you look fabulous! 😍

    2) mushrooms look YUYMMM

    3) I love then sauted in butter with onions and garlic 🥰

    Liked by 1 person

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      • brilliantviewpoint's avatar
        brilliantviewpoint says

        My twin brother just met someone. We did know this woman, but circumstances presented themselves and he left his old girlfriend (he wanted to for a long time, not easy) and is now dating this new one for three months — he’s IN LOVE! So, love during COVID exists. It’s all about positive attitude and timing helps.

        Liked by 1 person

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  9. SirPeterJames.com's avatar
    SirPeterJames.com says

    Your story refreshed me – thank you. I shall labour in my back-yard, appreciate and be thankful for the little miracles beckoning me from there each day; leaving the problems of the wider world to be; they will only bring anxiety and fear as I cannot solve them.

    Liked by 1 person

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    • bone&silver's avatar
      bone&silver says

      Thank you for reading & commenting- yes, our backyards are daily miracles indeed, and there is so much out there in the big world to be worried about 😢
      May 2021 be kinder to us all- forest, animals, oceans & humans- of course, the main issue is that WE need to be kinder to all of them.

      Liked by 1 person

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