What an eventful Fungi Friday! I had an interrupted mushroom hunt when a scammer, pretending to be a police officer, called me, claiming someone was hacking my bank account. So I had to end the hunt and run home. Despite that, I photographed some mushrooms and made a moss and mushroom garden to share in this beautiful fungi group, 
When I entered the woodland, it looked like no one had been there, as the path was covered with brambles. The way was muddy and wet, as it had been raining for a few days.
The first one I found was this beautiful golden yellow mushroom started to sprout out. They are called Golden Ear. Also called "Witch's Butter," this jelly-like mushroom grows on dead or decaying wood.
According to European legend, witches’ butter would appear on door frames as a sign of an evil hex. To remove the curse, it was believed that you needed to pierce the fungus with a pin and drain its fluid.
Beside it was an ochre bracket. Like the witch's butter, they help break down wood and play a crucial role in the forest ecosystem, returning nutrients to the soil.
A bit further along, I spotted a sticky, scaly cap.
The cap is so sticky that anything that lands on it gets stuck!
Along the way, there were lots of mushrooms camouflaging on the soil and leaves.
I looked closer and realized they were a species of pink gills from the genus Entoloma—I believe there were a few types on this spot!
Possibly the wood pink gill
Possibly the straight stalk entoloma.
They have pink spores, which give the gills a distinctive color.
Some species in this group are toxic, so foragers need to be cautious when identifying them!
While I was trying to compare all of the types, the scammer called me, pretending to be a police officer. So I had to end the hunt and run home. "Phew!"
Luckily, I managed to get some of the moss I wanted for my little project.
The little project was a moss and mushroom garden.
At home, I had a glass bowl, coals, soil, moss, dried mushrooms, and decorative mushrooms.
To keep the moss healthy and alive, I started with a layer of gravel or small stones for drainage.
I added a layer of activated charcoal to keep the soil fresh and prevent mold growth.
I topped it with potting soil.
Then I planted the moss.
I added the mushrooms.
Dried turkey tail and dried Fiery mushroom (red)
A little bit of painting for a variation of colour.
Done!
They need to be misted with water occasionally to keep them moist and in indirect sunlight.
I hope you all had a good fungifriday!
Mariah 🍄😊💗