Despite the crappy year we’ve had, I can find a sense of serenity in the woods. Hampstead heath is a wonderful breath of fresh air when visiting my hometown of London. In Brighton I have Stanmer park; rife with mushrooms this time of year. There is also a graveyard with some impressively dense areas of woodland. It harbours many a butterfly and wild flower.
This mushroom season I’m really hoping I find some coral mushroom (Ramaria stricta). I’ve only ever seen photos of it, but I am in love. It’s as though it were plucked right out of the oceans. It comes in a variety of colours, though a creamy beige is the most common. It also comes in a striking violet hue, appropriately named coral amethystina. I’d be delighted to find it in any form or colour! I’ve seen plenty people posting pictures online having found it in the UK this season. I’ve never been to the new forest before. Perhaps this season I shall take a journey there, no doubt as a few have come across the elusive coral shroom there. Below are some photographs of Hampstead heath from last week when I was visiting London.
I was quite enthralled to walk across Stanmer woods for hours on friday the 17th of October. The trees beginning to turn their usual autumnal shades of gold, auburn and sunset red. I ran into many mushrooms: clusters of inky caps, cascades of buttery sulphur tufts, shaggy scaly caps, jelly ears and lots and lots of rosey bonnets. This is perfect as I’ve just recently taken on a tattoo commission where I am to design a mushroom fairy ring (wrapping like a garter around the thigh). Among a few, it will feature rosey bonnets, inky caps and fly agarics. Below are some photos from my woodland adventures in Sussex, Stanmer park this past week.
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