Fabulous funky fungi have been popping up in the Late Bloomer garden! Water a little too much, and some mind-bending creation appears overnight.

Pink-spored Pluteus atromarginatus Pushing Out of Ground

Pink-spored Pluteus atromarginatus. When I look at this photo.I think of Captain Jack Sparrow (from “Pirates of the Caribbean,” for those of you who have been on a deserted island for the past ten years).

Pink-spored Pluteus atromarginatus on Full Display

Since I’ve been gardening for the past year and half, I have become keenly interested in insects and fungi. Did you know fungi are not plants? They have their own special kingdom of study. According to Fun Facts About Fungi (a great site for kids learning about fungi), “Living things are organized for study into large, basic groups called kingdoms. Fungi were listed in the Plant Kingdom for many years. Then, scientists learned that fungi show a closer relation to animals, but are unique and separate life forms. Now, Fungi are placed in their own Kingdom.” This makes me want to go back to school!

I was stumped early on by a couple of the fungi that popped up, so luckily I found MykoWeb, Mushrooms, Fungi, Mycology, a site that features The Fungi of California. Click the link to go to the Simple Key. Agarics, or Gilled Mushrooms, are listed at the top because they “are the most common group of mushrooms.” The photos on this site are excellent, but it can be time-consuming looking through hundreds of photos to identify your find.

So, when I discovered this alien creature in my garden and wanted to feature it in an earlier blog (with more photos of its life cycle) and an episode of “Late Bloomer,” I wrote to the site owner. He responded that it was a Pisolithus arhizus (aka P. tinctorius). The common name, Dog Turd Fungi, and you can see why!

Pisolithus arhizus (aka P. tinctorius) – Common name Dog Turd Fungi

They emerge round and smooth and erupt into this, with a blue-colored “flower.” Before the flower appears, it can look like a pile of dog poop. In some countries, they refer to it as deer turd fungi. Then, within a couple of days, the show is over, and the whole thing disintegrates.

This Blistered Cup Fungi appeared at the end of January. Since I was born on Valentine’s Day, I’m particularly fond of heart shapes. Also, Hike.Blog.Love.  presented followers with a heart-shape nature photo challenge in February, so I submitted this.

Heart-shaped Blistered Cup Fungi

In fact, all of these mushrooms popped up from December to April, when we received some rain. It’s now mid-May, and we don’t expect to see a drop of rain for six months. So, if any mushrooms pop up, it will be due to a leak in the irrigation. These Black Gilled Agarics appeared around the drip-line I installed. (oops, bit of a leak there) Some connection with spores and water, I have a feeling!

Black Gilled Agaric Fungi Clustered Around Leaky Drip Line

Black Gilled Agaric Fungi Cluster

I always think of “Lord of the Rings” when I look at this photo! I’m kicking myself I did not get a shot of the underside of the cap. The gills were black! In modern parlance, this would be called a “photo fail.” Other small, white or tan Agarics that have pushed up:

Small White Agaric Mushroom Cluster

Tan, Smooth White-Gilled Mushroom

How can you be sure of the gill, or spore, color? After all, they come in white, pink, brown, purple-brown and black. Just tilt it up to see!

White Gills of an Agaric Fleshy Type Mushroom

This tiny grouping popped up in a potted plant I had obviously over-watered.

Small Tan Agaric Mushrooms

The tops of this massive fleshy Agaric cluster split immediately due to fast growth.

Large Brown Pale-Gilled Fungi

For scale, I had my ready garden helper Courtney pose with them as a bouquet.

Massive Pale-Gilled Agaric Mushroom Cluster as Bouquet

Next to last is the most delicate fungi I have found, Coprinopsis lagopus, a black-spored Agaric fungi. It first pushes up as a thin, translucent white stem with black shiny head.

Coprinopsis lagopus Fungi upon first pushing up

Then the black separates into stripes, or black gills, as it opens to a delicate cup with edges turned in.

Coprinopsis lagopus Fungi as it opens

Then, the cap opens wide and splits. If you touch it, it disintegrates.

Coprinopsis lagopus Black-gilled Fungi open wide

I’ve saved for last the most unusual, a phallic-shaped, Stinkhorn type fungus (yes, it does have a bad odor) Lysurus mokusin or Lantern Stinkhorn. The flies are attracted to the fruiting body which “imitates rotting flesh. The deception is irresistible to flies which carry off the olive gleba-bearing spores, helping disperse the species.” – MykoWeb

Fly on Lysurus mokusin Stinkhorn Fungi pushing out of ground

I had seen the photo at the link, but was not convinced that’s what I had popping up in my garden, until I wrote to the site owner and he informed me. Dozens of these white eggs appeared just under the surface, so I dug underneath a cluster and pulled this up. Each egg would have produced a hollow, pinkish shaft, with the egg sac remaining on the head. Within hours of appearing, they wilted and shriveled. (smile)

Lysurus mokusin Stinkhorn Fungi with Egg Cluster

I hope you enjoyed my foray into fungi foibles! Thanks for stopping by “Late Bloomer” and I promise to continue entertaining, enlightening, and hopefully, occasionally, dazzling you, with my photos of glorious, marvelous nature. Comments are welcome! Please share with your fungi friends! – Kaye

Kiwi, Strawberry and Pineapple Guava Blossom Salad was lunch today. Grilling, stir-fry, salads and soups are about all I manage to make these days, with an occasional batch of homemade biscuits or cornbread. Today, I thought, what do I have that I can make to go with my dwindling pineapple guava blossoms? This is what I came up with.

Kiwi, Strawberry and Pineapple Guava Blossom Salad

A gardener pointed out to me that my pineapple guava petals are a delicacy, and sweet. He said one lady hired him for a whole day just to pick the petals for her. I tried one, and they are! Better tasting than the guavas, in my humble opinion, but not as filling.

I used an organic kiwi purchased at my market, Co-opportunity Natural Foods, and the only four ripe strawberries from my garden today, with leaves of apple mint and the pineapple guava blossoms. I blended half the juice of a Meyer lemon, with a 1/4 cup of fresh, raw goat yogurt (this is hard to come by, unless you or your neighbors have goats), and 1 tsp. of raw thick honey. This sweet and sour dressing is more than I need for one salad, so I will save it. I ate the salad in two minutes! Actually, I just ate the petals off the blossoms, but for the photo, I used the whole blossom, because it was so pretty on the plate.

I hope this gives you some ideas for preparing fresh, local raw foods. Thanks for stopping by! – Kaye

• Hand-painted soup bowl from the 1940′s, Blue Ridge pattern, Southern Potteries, Erwin, Tennessee. Hand-embroidered napkin by Margaret Kehrer, circa 1950′s.

If bees are imperiled, so are humans. There exists an exhaustive amount of press and scientific articles about the bee crisis, but, in case this is the first time you are getting this information, I want to enlighten you. And scare you. This little, hard-working bee’s – and millions of others like it – days could be numbered on planet Earth. And that spells DOOM for us humans.

Honey Bee Dives for Pollen in Broccoli Bloom

It seems to me of all the overwhelming, enormous global warming, aka climate change, issues our dear Earth faces – really, Earth will probably survive, it’s we who are digging the grave of the human, animal and plant kingdoms – the issue of bees dying by the millions is one that can be turned around. After much scientific study, the evidence seems pretty clear that Neonicotinoids are one of the main culprits for the dying-off of bees.

So, if these neuro-active insecticides are killing off the bees in record number, just pull those pesticides off the market, right? Seems like a no-brainer. But, when you have huge corporations like Bayer and Shell deeply invested in a class of chemicals – and industrial agriculture depends on chemicals –  it’s easier said than done. Interestingly, the development of Neonicotinoids appears to have been an effort to reduce toxicity to humans from the older organophosphates, a staple of industrial agriculture.

But, in 2007, beekeepers started to become aware of bee colonies collapsing, which is now known as Colony Collapse Disorder, or CCD. Read about pesticide involvement in CCD.

Why should we care?

From Wikibooks.org: “When most people think about honeybees and what they contribute to our society, they likely think only of honey. Honeybees, however, have a much larger impact in our lives through agriculture. Not only do they provide pollination to fruit and vegetable crops, but they also pollinate crops we grow and feed to animals which we then eat or use for dairy products. Without a healthy honeybee population and the beekeepers who keep them, our lives would change dramatically in a very short period of time. For this reason alone, a great debt is owed to those who keep honeybees, make a living from them, and provide the pollination services required for us to sustain the quality of life we have today.”

From Care2: “More than a third of U.S. food crops are dependent on pollination by honeybees for a successful harvest. Hundreds of popular natural foods largely rely on bees for reproduction, including almonds, broccoli, cucumbers, squash, strawberries, and watermelons. By helping plants to produce seeds and fruit — and creating a very popular natural sweetener in the process — honeybees contribute an estimated $14 billion a year to the American economy, and are responsible for an abundance of many of the world’s healthiest foods.”

Here are ways YOU can HELP Keep Honeybees Buzzing, from Care2 Petition Site: 

- Plant a bee garden and place bee-friendly plants in your yard…

- Avoid the use of household pesticides that bees are sensitive to (like wasp killer)…

- Support local bee keepers by making an effort to purchase locally made, responsibly produced honey…

- Build a small bee house for your yard or community…

- Sign a pledge to keep honeybees buzzing.

- Write your elected officials. (Yes, I know that seems fruitless – no pun intended – but, how else will they know how many people care about an issue?)

- Support local, sustainably farmed foods and family farms. Avoid industrially-farmed corn, a main bee-killing crop.

Citizens must unite. Citizens SEE the big picture, SURVIVAL. Corporations see the next quarter’s profits.

“Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has.”

Attributed to M. Mead in: Frank G. Sommers, Tana Dineen (1984) Curing Nuclear Madness. p.158

Thanks for reading, and acting! – Kaye

Late Bloomer - Harvesting Winter Garden Vegetables is online! In this fun episode, I harvest snow peas and Swiss Chard (and show a neighbor how to cook it!), Mei Qing Bok Choi (and give it away to neighbors), and an armload of celery for juicing.

Kaye Explains Bolting and Harvests Mei Qing Bok Choi

As if I haven’t said enough about aphids already , I commissioned regular “Late Bloomer” motion graphics artist Mika Tanisaki to create a short animation about aphids. Working with 100 year-old illustrations from the Library of Congress, Mika made a age-old garden pest fresh, and fun! With clever sound design by Christina Horgan, “Awful Aphids” is one Late Bloomer you won’t want to miss! Please let me know if you would enjoy more animations in the future. “Late Bloomer” seeks to entertain, enlighten and inspire everyone to grow their own food!

Aphids on Cauliflower Leaf

Also, my camera gets up close and personal with a bee diving for pollen in a bolted broccoli bloom!

Honey Bee Dives for Pollen in Broccoli Bloom

Please Like, Comment and Subscribe to my YouTube Channel so you won’t miss an episode of “Late Bloomer!” And get your free e-book at this website “10 Steps to a Great First Garden.” Thank you!

“Late Bloomer at Tomatomania” celebrates the one-year anniversary of “Late Bloomer,” today, Earth Day 2013! The 25th episode begins our second year, and I want to thank each and every one of you who has watched an episode, subscribed, followed, liked, commented, thumbs upped, and most especially, shared “Late Bloomer” with your friends!

Last Earth Day 2012, “Welcome to Late Bloomer” premiered on YouTube and in an article on the previous incarnation of this site.

What a year it has been, juggling the demands of a garden (mostly all on my own) with a web show (with a post-production team of three), averaging two episodes a month. I have learned A LOT about gardening, and I’m sharing it in my new e-book “10 Steps to a Great, First Garden,” available FREE when you subscribe to this website. Loaded with “LBL’s,” aka Late Bloomer Lessons, photos, links, resources, “10 Steps to a Great, First Garden” is YOUR first step to growing your own food! Get it now>>>

“Earth Day is the first holy day which transcends all national borders, yet preserves all geographical integrities, spans mountains and oceans and time belts, and yet brings people all over the world into one resonating accord, is devoted to the preservation of the harmony in nature and yet draws upon the triumphs of technology, the measurement of time, and instantaneous communication through space.” —Margaret Mead

Check out the fun at Tomatomania at Descanso Gardens and listen to Stephen Baldonado’s advice about watering tomatoes, a CRITICAL factor in whether you get it right growing tomatoes. Thanks for watching, and please share “Late Bloomer” on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, Google+ and all your favorite social media platforms. Help me to reach more people about growing your own food. It’s never too late! – Thank you, Kaye

I thought I’d have some fun in the garden on St. Patrick’s Day! We had a June-gloomy kind of day, so I put on bright green, harvested some green cauliflower, made green kale dip (see recipe below), and tore out a rotted green fence. Join in the fun and share with friends! If you enjoy or find this video helpful, please let me know! Also, let me know how I can make “Late Bloomer” better!

Kaye harvests Swiss Chard and Kale for juicing

Monarch Chrysalis forming on a branch

Blue Lake Beans sprouting indoors (not really recommended!)

Green cauliflower with green kale dip

Green Kale Dip

1 Cup fresh plain goat yogurt (can substitute plain cow yogurt)

1 Tbl. organic mayonaise

2-3 Tbl. fresh squeezed orange juice (may substitute lemon)

1 Large leaf of green kale (I grow Winter Bor)

Fresh dill and chives

Chop the kale finely. Blend the yogurt, mayonaise, orange juice and kale together for one minute or until it looks blended.

Sprinkle over finely chopped dill and chives. Prepare raw vegetables for dipping. Serve and enjoy!

(If you are not a huge kale fan, this is a great way to get the nutritious benefit of kale without really tasting it, ha!)

Some days in the garden are all about fun. Not hard work! St. Patrick’s Day was one of those days. It wasn’t easy to be cheery with the June gloom we have so often here, but I did my best! Thanks for stopping by and watching. And please get my new FREE e-book, “10 Steps to a Great, First Garden!” – Kaye

After much ado, the new “Late Bloomer” website premieres! With the expertise of WordPress Training & Online Marketing Consultant Lucy Beer and the graphics artistry of “Late Bloomer’s” motion graphics artist Mika Tanisaki, “Late Bloomer” unveils whole new look! While they were busy at work making the site look good, and function, I was busy writing my first E-book, “1o Steps to a Great First Garden.”

10 Steps to a Great First Garden by Kaye Kittrell

Get it now, by adding your name and email address to the box at right!

I hope you will have a nice visit while you are here, and let me know if I can be of any help. I still consider myself a beginning gardener, but, I’ve learned a lot in a year! And if you are behind on watching “Late Bloomer,” bookmark the site and click on the Late Bloomer Episodes tab and watch as you have time. Or, visit my YouTube Channel. My goal is to entertain, enlighten and inspire you to grow your own food. If you have suggestions how I can do a better job, please let me know! Thanks for stopping by! – Kaye

Winter garden fun and maintenance continue as Kaye weeds nasturtium, harvests carrots and radishes and plants more radish seeds in her front yard vegetable garden, with neighbor Sophia’s help. Kaye plants berry vines in the tubs where the carrots were. Kaye offers a method for fighting against cutworm! Check out this simple tip, sink rings cut from yogurt cups or seedling pots around the seedlings when you plant. Cutworms are less likely to cut the leaves and stems.

Watch Season 2, Episode 3 of “Late Bloomer,” “January Garden Maintenance – Winter Garden Part 3.” If you enjoy this video, or find it helpful, please leave me a comment and share with your friends! And if you are growing your own food, or want to start, download Kaye’s new e-book, “10 Steps to a Great First Garden,” or, everything Kaye has learned in the last year!

Kaye harvests carrots in Late Bloomer

Neighbor Sophia helps in the Late Bloomer Garden

Kaye fights cutworm in her winter garden

Don’t miss the music of new “Late Bloomer” composer Jon Pileggi- Guitarist, Songwriter, Recording Artist!

If you have a question, please leave a comment. It’s never too late to start growing vegetables, I know! Thank you! – Kaye

Kaye harvests celery in her winter garden

Winter gardening is a challenge with cold, wet days in December. Good thing the garden is planted! But, you have to venture out once in a while to thin seedlings, deal with pests, harvest heaps of vitamin-packed celery for juicing and encounter wildlife. Check out Kaye’s camelias! The front yard is packed with vegetables. Watch Season 2, Episode 2 of “Late Bloomer.

The sun came out occasionally. Here’s a look at the raised bed planted in November. The broccoli and bok choy are bolting after a hot spell.

Two month old seedlings in raised bed

Cold days drive Kaye inside

If you enjoy and/or find this episode helpful, please Like and Share and Comment! It’s never too late to start growing vegetables! Thank you! – Kaye

I was born on Valentine’s Day during one of the biggest snowstorms in Tennessee history, according to my mother. My parents couldn’t agree whether I was born in the morning or at night. Back then, they put the expectant mothers to sleep for the delivery, so the confusion is understandable.

From Nature with Love, Heart-shaped Cyclamen Leaf

Valentine’s Day has always been a special day for me, because it’s easy for friends and family to remember your birthday! (One of the great things about Facebook, the happy birthday wishes are pouring in!) The downside is you don’t get a separate special day of gifts of chocolate and flowers. It all comes on one day. My Valentine Garden makes for a special day!

I haven’t had much time for blogging of late, but I will be getting back to regular posts soon. My focus has been to set up a custom blog which will allow for advertising, and will feature the Late Bloomer Show videos. That is not possible with this theme, so I am working on a new one, and also an e-book, “Late Bloomer’s Ten Steps to a Great First Garden,” which has been a lot of fun!

Season 1 of “Late Bloomer” finished up with corn, tomatoes and watermelon, episodes 18, 19, and 20, my three favorite things to eat being from the South, and Season 2 is off to a great start covering my winter garden. I have added a wonderful composer, Jon Pileggi, to my creative team. This is the first time I will have music scored to picture, which is VERY exciting! I will be able to look forward to original music composed for each episode. Please check out the music he created for Planting the Winter Garden.

I am thrilled that my original creative team, Megan, Mika and Chriss, are still with me and our relationship is fantastic! We work remotely, over the internet, and have only been together twice. Here we are last week at a screening of a short film I have the lead in, “A Final Gift.”

There will be episodes about my Monarch experience coming, as well as interviews with other people growing urban gardens. I hope you will follow and subscribe to “Late Bloomer,” and help it grow. It’s never too late to learn to grow vegetables! I am living proof!

And if you are on Facebook, Late Bloomer Show is a very active and interactive page. Please Like and add to your special interests and share YOUR garden news and photos there. I want to build a community of late bloomers growing their own food! Late Bloomer Show is also on Instagram! For nature garden lovers, this is so much fun! Please check it out and share! What heart shapes can you find in your valentine garden?

Heart-shaped Cup Fungi – Share the Love

Thanks for stopping by and have a wonderful Valentine’s Day! – Kaye