Colours of Autumn

The expected rain hasn’t yet arrived and yesterday’s wallflowers are wilting. Going out to water them would ensure torrential rainfall for the rest of the night. Should I do it?

There are so many beautiful colours around at the moment, looking both up and down, even on a dull day like today. This is growing under my hedge, Fly Agaric or Amanita muscaria, one of the most recognised species of fungus in Britain and Europe It’s widely thought to be poisonous though is eaten parboiled in parts of Europe. Though there isn’t much someone somewhere does not eat. On a training course in France once, I went fungi hunting with some Hungarians. On their confident advice, we collected just about everything we came across, but once back at the kitchen, the cook tossed out about three quarters with a muttered ‘mauvais, mauvais’. This one does have hallucinogenic qualities though, which might well account for the fairy tales that have grown up around the species.


Growing among leaf litter
half in the shade where
secrets and laughter are made