Monday, November 1, 2010

Ready for a well-deserved beauty sleep

Finally, after weeks of putting off the inevitable task of clearing out the garden, we got it done and over with this past Saturday just before the rains came pouring down in sheets. Autumn in Italy this year has been a real pool party - for the frogs - but not so much for anyone who has had garden work to finish up. The mixed clay soil that we have is easier to work with when the dirt isn't soaked to the gills.

In the meantime I am still waiting for a miracle to happen in the mushroom kit that I picked up recently. It is unthinkable that I could possibly grow my own (there are plenty of weird volunteers in the garden), but I had to give it a try at least once and who could resist the picture of these yellow oyster mushrooms? In Italy there is a mushroom called fungo d'amore - the love mushroom - but are actually the pink version of the oyster type.

And speaking of pink, it will be pinks and whites next spring when the tulips and other blossoms come up. I am going through this Hello Kitty phase...it must be that "second childhood" sort of thing. My husband is fine with it as long as I don't start putting plastic flamingos in the yard.

9 comments:

Jude said...

I love that the Italians have decided to call pink oyster shrooms love shrooms! (Oh, and I'd love to be reading swear words in Italian, I'm sure it sounds deliciously bad!)

I'd love to see how the mushroom growing goes! And the Hello Kitty bulbs too, I'm sure your husband will appreciate the fine blossoms by the time spring rolls around! :)

Gail - Fort Rock Glimpses said...

Good luck on those shrooms Rowena! They look wonderful. I can so relate to the putting your gardens to bed for the winter. I am in the process of harvesting the last of the ripe tomatoes. Tomorrow I will pluck all the green ones to ripen over the next few weeks, and pull the vines. We need to shut down that particular greenhouse...it is too expensive to keep heating. As for the flamingos...that has been my lifelong dream!! To have a flock of those pink plastic birds on my property. :) Ah well...maybe some day. LOL

K and S said...

I just planted my bulbs, but had to throw out half because they were soft :( hope what I planted grows. can't wait to see those hot pink tulips!

fer said...

Can't wait to see your tulips next year!
Good luck with your love mushrooms, i hope they grow well

Julie said...

Can you even find fenicotteros rosa in Italy Rowena??? Love the tulips, jealous! and love the little terraces you've built to garden in, too.

Sue Swift said...

Where did you get the mushroom kit Rowena? I've been looking for one...

Rowena said...

Julie - as a matter of fact, yes! There's natural bird sanctuary near Venice and we did get to see the flamingos, but from very far away. Even with binoculars I could barely make out the pink color.

Sue - good ole Esselunga always comes through for me, but I have seen the kit at Auchan as well.

Sue Swift said...

Wow - your Esselunga must be quite different to mine ... :(

Lavender and Vanilla Friends of the Gardens said...

Good luck with your mushroom kit. I have never tried it. The garden looks to be ready for its winter hibernation. Come spring it will be a heaven of spring flowers. I adore tulips and daffodils, alas they are out of my reach.