Fascinating Fungi by Garden Castle Shed Shaggy Mane Coprinus Comatus

Here is the photo at the end of the last blog entry. These mushrooms have been popping up in the same spot for months, I always cut them down while they are still in a round shape. The dark edge looked so interesting I did a search to identify them.

Wikipedia entry says:
"Coprinus comatus, the shaggy ink cap, lawyer's wig, or shaggy mane, is a common fungus often seen growing on lawns, along gravel roads and waste areas. The young fruit bodies first appear as white cylinders emerging from the ground, then the bell-shaped caps open out. The caps are white, and covered with scales—this is the origin of the common names of the fungus. The gills beneath the cap are white, then pink, then turn black and secrete a black liquid filled with spores (hence the “ink cap” name). This mushroom is unusual because it will turn black and dissolve itself in a matter of hours after being picked or depositing spores."

The morning after the first photo there was quite a change, the large central mushroom with the black lacy edge has now grown taller and thinner and the mushroom is flat and dripping with black ink. The mushroom at the front is opening and staining the cement edging.

Here is a close-up of the dripping ink.

By late afternoon the mushroom at the front was dripping with ink.

I had to see what the ink was like. When I pulled my finger under the edge the ink on the gills showed up in lines. Very interesting little fungi.

Even though they are edible before they turn to ink they will not be making their way to my mushroom soup.

Sunny Day at the Garden Castle Shed

The sun was beautiful and bright all day and into the high 60s, can't ask for better working weather. Jan brought one of the table and chairs to the back flagstone patio. We've had two of these Costco tables and six chairs for years on the front porch. I've been wanting to perk them up.

There is still much to do on the shed, sigh. My small torch was just not powerful enough to finish the copper finials. We bought a larger torch and should be finishing them this week, then we can make the door then the window trims, edgings, stonework base and much more.

Remember the photo below from last month when I cleaned some barn wood and the turned post? At that time I wasn't sure what I wanted to do with the post, it's taller then table height.

Well, I decided I wanted to have a stand, here is Jan adding on the base and top.

I slapped a little paint on it, still not sure if it will stay this color.

After a couple of days I'll decide and finish.

Jan was pretty skeptical when I said I wanted the table and chairs purple.

 

Don't you think the purple chair looks a lot better than the oxidized black? I was pleased but darn, it took a long time to paint two chairs.

Here is the result of the weekend rain. Two of the mushrooms have black ruffled edges, will the others open up the same way?