what a difference a little rain makes!

okay, it was more than a little, it was 5.5 inches of rain.  we needed it and we need even more but i am also happy to see the week or so of gloomy weather leave for a bit.  the garden exploded a bit this week  with all of the rain.

tiny and delicate but a big plus in the garden; buckwheat blooms attract beneficial insects and it is a great green manure.

some day, we hope to figure out where this cleome came from and how it ended up in the zombie garden bed.   

 remember the pineapples in the zombie garden?  they are loving the weather and have more than doubled in size.

 i planted 3 taro root tubers in the zombie garden, so far only one has taken to the new digs.

 over in the grape arbor, these are pretty tasty!  3 years ago, I harvested some grapes and made a starter, it is still living in my fridge.  every now and then, i take it out and feed it and then make some bread.

 kabocha squash-or the vine that ate the ag center...

 the bronze fennel was where all of the action was-it was teeming with all sorts of insects.

 the other part of rain-fungus!  these sprouted out of the logs in the herb garden walls.

 what they look like when mature

 wood ears-popular in chinese cuisine, they are edible.

 mushrooms are fascinating organisms.  the current trend of hunting and foraging for local foods has many locavores searching for prized edibles.  properly identifying them is crucial since they can be deadly.  unfortunately, it takes more than just looking at the top.  this guy might mislead a newbie-the blazing hot sun completely changed it's appearance; when i arrived 3 hours earlier, it was a creamy white color without that brown ring around the edge.

 looking at the bottom is just as important as the top-there are so many important clues here; veil, stem, gills, color and spores are all important factors to proper identification.  always get an expert to help you identify your finds before you eat them!

 fungus is everywhere.  this white, webby substance is actually the mycelium, the actual organism and each species has a "web" and they can be very large.  the crazy part, the mushrooms are actually the fruit of the mycelium.  below are some close up shots of the mycelium.

lichens aren't plants, they are symbiotic organisms comprised of fungus and algae.  for more a detailed explanation, visit this website.

a visitor to the garden taking a rest on the arbor.  it was hot, humid and sunny-typical summer but shirley and i managed to remove two big baskets of bermuda grass.  come on out and join us!