The Fungi Library
The garden beneath the garden.
Not everything growing here reaches toward the sun.
Beneath leaves, between blades of grass and among pieces of old wood, another part of the garden is quietly at work.
We began this library after mushrooms started appearing in places we had walked past hundreds of times—one standing alone in the lawn, another little gathering tucked among the mulch.
Some have names we know.
Some are still mysteries.
All of them are part of the garden.
Explore the fungi we've found growing at Olive & Edith.
Found in the Garden
One standing alone in the grass. A little gathering tucked into the mulch. Small appearances that asked us to stop and look closer. Each beautiful in its own unique way.
These are the fungi we’ve noticed at Olive & Edith - a collection growing one discovery at a time.
Some are still waiting for a name. Each image and card gathers what we observed, where we found it, and the questions we’re still following.
Look closer. There’s a story beginning here.
What are fungi?
Mushrooms are only part of the story.
Fungi belong to their own biological kingdom, separate from plants and animals. They include mushrooms, molds, and yeasts. Fungus means one; fungi means more than one.
Unlike plants, fungi absorb nutrients from their surroundings rather than making food from sunlight. Many break down fallen leaves and old wood, returning nutrients to the soil. Others form partnerships with plant roots, helping plants obtain water and nutrients. Some live as parasites.
What we see above ground
A mushroom is a fruiting body—the spore-producing part of certain fungi. Much of the organism may remain hidden in soil or wood as a network of fine threads called mycelium. A mushroom’s appearance can reveal a life that was already there, quietly out of sight.
Here at Olive & Edith, we begin by noticing: where something appeared, what surrounded it, and how it changed. A name may come later.
There is plenty to discover before we know what to call it.
