Mushrooms are suddenly everywhere, aliens, in all their various colours and forms. This one reminds me of ginger.
Love these snowy caps.
The highlight of autumn for me though, is the emergence of the toadstools, such incredibly beautiful fungi, delightful and utterly poisonous. Most mushrooms have a doppelganger, where one is lethal, yet it’s twin is edible. The toadstool has no edible lookalike.
They emerge as little red balls sporting white marshmallows, usually in the mossy areas of lawn.
They used to form circles, but now they march prettily across the lawn. Each day I look forward to spotting more, I have to take great care not to tread on the babies as they are almost invisible initially.
A self-seeded crab apple tree, another Autumnal delight.
A down side to Autumn is the hundreds of huntsmen spiders that invade the house, webs appear daily. I’m on a mission trying to evict them all.
The brambly roses are now red and gold with rich, dark hips.
All my shrubs along the railings look outwards, this means the neighbours get to enjoy them but I don’t get to see much from the garden side.
Beech leaves are beginning to fall…
and crops are now shorn.
And Finally….
Apple tree and rose hips.
You’d never know they were there….
Two little woodpigeon chicks sitting in a nest on the arbour.
It’s amazing how many of your posts I missed while we were having our holidays here. I did open the computer here and there, but… In any case, I loved the mushrooms here and the rose hips too. Such a positive post. I’m sure it would have been just the thing for me in the middle of September. But that’s one of the advantages of reading; it is there later too. Thanks for the positive, Dina. xxx
Thanks Shimon. I do hope you enjoyed the holidays. I am behind blogging wise so looking forward to catching up with you! This year we have such a lot of mushrooms, more than any previous years, the sheer variety is astonishing, more are appearing each day! xxx
Beautifully Autumnal descriptive photos.
We’ve got half a fairy circle. I’m waiting to see if it completes itself!
xxx
Thanks Menhir, oh, half a circle? I do hope it completes itself, you must get a pic if it does. We always had circles, now it’s marching! xxx
Just a few leaves have fallen here, I’m still waiting for the inevitable deluge in a couple of months. Glad you named those spiders, I saw one scuttling across the floorboards a couple of nights ago (I’m on the third floor) – it quickly disappeared under the sofa; I’m hoping it’s found its way out by now through the system of pipes. Love the toadstools, I haven’t seen any that bright since my son was very young – it was a huge round topped one, like your fourth photo, and we named it Big Ear’s House! 😀 xx
I remember you telling me about Big Ear’s House….that still has me smiling! Oh…those spiders are simply invading the house, one or two are fine but fifty??? each day I evict them and each day there are more!!! Thanks Caro.xxx
Wonderful! I love the crabapples, the rose hips, and the colorful fungi. Autumn seems more advanced where you are than here.
Thanks Jason,there has been a swift change to autumn, berries and falling leaves are everywhere and that damp chill is creeping in! xxx
Beautiful autumnal post.
Toadstools are fascinating. I do not seem to have so many at the moment, probably due to the dry weather. Still fairly mild here in the South East.
I love the image of the wood pigeon chicks, so sweet.
Your garden is looking very pretty dressed in her Autumnal gown.
Thanks Cheryl. I have never seen this many mushrooms, so many different varieties too, I wonder why that is? Good to know you still have mild weather, a chill is creeping in here. xxx
Great post and images.
Thanks Peter.xxx
I find mushrooms very fascinating. Whenever I see them, I would stop and take pictures. That one in the first picture indeed looks like ginger. How interesting!
Your garden seems beautiful now with all the flowers, fruits and mushrooms popping up here and there. Enjoy!
Mushrooms fascinate me too, I’ve never seen so many varieties, they seem to be everywhere this autumn. Thanks Jade.xxx
Lots of good things in your blog post. The redcaps, the crab apples and the other berries really stand out. Do you make jelly with the crab apples? Around here I see apples falling in our neighbours’ gardens. They don’t gather them and it seems such a waste of good food, but I don’t know them well enough to knock on doors and ask if we can have some. I like this season, but it’s getting chilly too. We shall be going to a warmer climate for a while and we’re looking forward to that. A happy Autumn to you!
It’s berry season for sure!I don’t do anything with the crab apples, you have me thinking now though, I must google some recipes for jelly! I have a huge apple tree that has thousands of apples on it, I don’t use them so am always delighted to pass them next door, I’m sure your neighbours would be more than happy to share. Oh….enjoy your break! We are starting to put the heating on each evening now…..sighs…. Thanks Linda.xxx
Who is that cat in your header photo? Is that yours? When I saw it, my heart stopped. It looked for all the world like my Dixie Rose. It’s the eyes.
I can’t believe you’re talking about autumn already. We’re still green as green can be, with rain and more rain, and tropical systems roaming around. It’s hot and humid, and everyone is longing for fall, but it’s going to be a while.
Your toadstools are amazing. I’ve never seen one of those red ones in real life; we mostly seem to have little brown and beige things. They can be delicate, and nicely proportioned, and all that, but red and white certainly would spiff up the landscape!
I especially like the photo of the harvested field. That’s the essence of autumn for me: harvest time. I hope most of the crops here were safely in before this rain began; it can be a mixed blessing, for sure.
That is Curly cat, was Dixie Rose a tabby too? They do seem to have hypnotic eyes. Goodness, how odd to think you have it hot and humid! Autumn has set in here, leaves are falling and mushrooms are everywhere. Toadstools are certainly dramatic, so pretty too, shame they are lethal! Here’s to you getting some dry weather! Thanks Linda.xxx
I love the photos of the Toadstools … They seem to be in every storybook I read as a child ( and they looked exactly like your photo)… A pity they are poisonous! I bet Noddy and Big Ears didn’t know that!
The wood pigeons look very comfortable amongst the leaves and apples. Enjoy Autumn!
Toadstools certainly do feature in fairy tales and children’s stories, you wonder how many children have picked them! Thanks Gerrie.xxx
Just beautiful, Dina! My favorite time of year, and it looks soooo beautiful there!
Is that Curly at the top of the page? Quite an impressive photo!
I love to see the pups playing; they see, to love their new play space/your pavers. 🙂
Apples and rose hips: JOY!
The shrubs look glorious: lucky neighbors! Did your witch hazel do well this year? I still don’t have any, but I ordered a new perennial today that I’m excited about. It’s generic name is Eastern Featherbell; Latin is Stenanthium gramineum. : (https://www.google.com/search?q=Stenanthium+gramineum&rlz=1CAHPZQ_enUS773US773&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwiK8vTr-7jdAhXpyoMKHQYrD9QQsAR6BAgFEAE&biw=1366&bih=654)
We have a lot of fungi, too, but I only pick and eat morels in the spring. The toadstools are soooo fairy tale, aren’t they?!
Loved this post so much. Love you more; thank you for all this beauty!
Yes, that is Curly cat, he does have such beautiful eyes. The witch hazel flowered well early spring, how I love them. Ooooh, Eastern Featherbel looks wonderful, how it suits it’s name, I haven’t seen that before, hope it grows well for you.
Goodness, you are brave picking fungi, I wouldn’t dare!!! Toadstools are just gorgeous, we have about fifty a year, I always look forward to seeing them, just magical! Thanks Kitty, as always for such a lovely comment. Love and hugs to one and all!xxxx
Your blog is just one good thing after another. Although I’m surprised that there are still chicks sitting in nests!
Thanks so much Gilly. Woodpigeons breed all year round here, the rescue is full of chicks all year….xxx
Oh yeah, I spotted them both! Such lovely, will they endure the cold winter weather? Or will they go to find another warmer nest?
Yes, Autumn is right in front of the door… Emanuele Giosuè will move to Zurich Effretikon next Sunday. We found for him a lovely house with two gentlemen, and most of all, he will have to speak German!
Soon we’ll have to start preparing our garden for the harsh season, and this time there is so much to cut around…
Hugs and love :-)claudine
The little woodpigeons fledged successfully, it was wonderful seeing them fly off, into the big trees. They will be fine, lots to eat in the garden. Oh, how you will miss your lovely boy!!! I wish him all the luck in the world. There is always so much to do in the garden at this time of the year, my front garden has got away from me, I will have to try and get stuck in! Thanks Claudine, love and hugs to you.xxx
Do the dogs know that the toadstools are not for eating?
Oh yes Sue, they have been well trained in the fungi department, they eat the fruit though!xxx
Yes it’s definitely autumn now. We haven’t as many fallen leaves yet, apart from an Acer which has bright red leaves already!
Thanks Jess, the leaves are everywhere here, they keep getting blown and walked in, our floors are beginning to look like forests!xxx
Good post and pictures. Fungi are fascinating, but I know little about them.
I find the wonderful cat header picture mesmerising. xx
Thanks Flighty, yes, fungi certainly are fascinating, I’ve never seen so many, lots of new varieties this year. Good to know you enjoyed the photo of Curly cat. He does have such compelling eyes.xxx
I just love this time of year and the changing colours… golds, browns, reds – just wonderful.
I enjoyed all of your photographs and so good to see the little woodpigeon chicks …
Enjoy the rest of the week, and have a great weekend.
All the best Jan
It is a wonderful season isn’t it? The leaves are wonderful when red and gold, I think this year is going to be colourful. Thanks Jan.xxx
So many signs around now of autumn, though I want to hang onto summer for as long as possible I fear I must concede defeat. I hope those woodpigeons fledge and get settled before the weather gets bad.
It’s really autumnal here now. leaves are being blown into huge drifts and the house is full of them. We did have lovely weather while in the New Forest though, I hope we get a little more sunshine but think that’s behind us now. The woodpigeons fledged successfully, it was lovely seeing them take to the big trees. Thanks Jo.xxx
Beautiful photos – I do love autumn. I envy you your gorgeous toadstools – we went on a fungi forage talk many years ago and were told that if we ever picked mushrooms to eat, we should always leave one on the draining board for easy identification in case of toxicity! Needless to say, we’ve always been too scared to try any! xx
Thanks Veggiemummy. I would love to go on a fungi forage, I must look out for a local one. Gosh, I’ve never heard that advise re eating wild mushrooms before, I wouldn’t go there either! Far too risky!xxx