Every September I find large toadstools growing in my front garden, but this year there are many more than usual. I don’t know what type(s) they are but I’m fairly sure they are associated with the root system of a birch tree which stands on the other side of the path you can see in some of the pictures. I’m not sure why I have so many this year but it might be related to the very dry summer followed more recently by very heavy rain.
One of my neighbours seems to think they’re a sign of some sort of disease, but they’re not. They’re just part of the ecosystem; they have a symbiotic relationship with trees. I find them quite interesting actually, and don’t remove them until they start to decay at which point they are very slimy and unpleasant so I lift them and chuck them in the bin. I think some of them may be edible, but I’m not prepared to take the chance. Various other critters seem to like them though, especially snails. You can see some of them have been nibbled at.
I’m not sure what the correct collective noun for a collection of fungi is – a web search suggests “colony” or “troop”. Anyone who knows, and/or anyone who can identify the varieties in the pictures please let me know. The flat ones, incidentally, are quite large: about the size of a side plate.
