The garden responds to rain - even when it's not much - with subtle embellishments. Moss and mushrooms probably aren't very exciting to most people but they aren't something I've seen much of recently.
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| The dirt path between the driveway and the lath house is now covered with emerald green moss, which is surprisingly cushy |
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| Mushrooms have popped up everywhere |
Not to be outdone, seemingly overnight, shrubs and trees are clothed in berries and bells.
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| The Auranticarpa rhombifolium shrubs, leftovers of the original hedges planted by prior owners, are nondescript most of the year but they're covered in pumpkin-shaped orange berries this time of year. As the berries dry, they break open to display sticky seeds. |
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| The strawberry trees (Arbutus 'Marina') are cloaked in bell-like flowers. It may be a product of my imagination but the flowers seem more profuse this year, possibly due to cooler-than-average temperatures, early rain, and a delay in my usual tree-trimming schedule. |
Fall offers as much joy as spring, especially when rain adds its magic.
For more Wednesday vignettes, visit Anna at Flutter & Hum.
All material © 2012-2021 by Kris Peterson for Late to the Garden Party
I think here in CA rains bring the same sense of relief/hope that spring does in other places. Your moss path is beautiful; isn't it amazing the life that sleeps on what through summer looks like...dirt.
ReplyDeleteYes, you can almost feel gardens - and gardeners - exhale with that sense of relief when we get that first real rain after a long, dry hiatus. Then a week or two later, we're holding out breaths waiting to see if that was a fluke ;)
DeleteMoss and fungi must be rare in your area, I'd think. A bit of rain is quite encouraging, it seems!
ReplyDeleteMoss and fungi are just about as rare as rain, Eliza!
DeleteThat's exciting. I noticed more of them during the late summer and autumn this year, since we had a drought through late spring and midsummer. Great post!
ReplyDeleteAs the first commentator said, moss and mushrooms only seem to be waiting for the right conditions to emerge, Beth.
DeleteYou have MOSS?? Wow - who would have thought...?? I imagine that feels almost luxurious! I have mushrooms too - lots of them in one area. Wish I knew more about them. Who knows - maybe they are edible, or even delicious?
ReplyDeleteI've read too many stories about even so-called mushroom experts making mistakes in judging which mushrooms are edible to try making that assessment, Anna ;)
DeleteYay for that beautiful carpet of moss!
ReplyDeleteFingers are crossed that we get at least enough rain to keep it in place awhile!
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