Honey Fungus

It's hard to believe that I am approaching the end of my first year in retirement, but as the nights grow darker and the days get cold, I am reminded that the next few months are the most challenging.

The Summer has progressed well, I have played too much golf, but have won a tournament and come second in another so that has served to keep my handicap stable. I have played some great courses and met a lot of new people so no complaints there.

The garden has been my other source of activity, as I see my running days being put on hold for a bit longer. I gave the grass its final Autumn cut this week, and built the latest folly. It's a grass bench modelled on a design spotted at the RHS Tatton Park flower show, and it works well in a troublesome spot behind  the rhododendron's . Only time will tell if it gets enough sunlight to be sustainable

.

My other Summer project has, of course, been the new shed, and
here it is finally completed save for the final coat of paint. Given the size   of it, I am quite amazed that it is now appears to be full. Three  bikes, loads of garden furniture, paint, a marquee, two gazebo's, hordes of car boot sale items, old golf clubs, spare pictures, ladders, wood offcuts  and several cases of wine have seen to that.



The down side to the gardening this season appears to be the fact we have honey fungus.  Here is the mushroom style evidence which I am basing it on, and it has killed this Silver Birch. A similar fate befell our only apple tree. That was the sole survivor of when the site was all orchards, so it might have been on its last legs anyway, but it is still a great loss to the landscape.

 Two Hornbeam's also had to be felled this year, although they have no mushroom infestations in evidence, nor does one of the larger Holly tree's which is also looking distressed, I am just keeping my fingers crossed that we have no other species which are susceptible to honey fungus, although I am nervous that Acer is one such and we have a fair few of those, one of which travelled with us from London and would cost over £1000 to replace size for size. Seems like I must do some more research  as the fungus is resilient to treatment and can only be contained by physical barriers. This might be the  first Winter project I am looking for.

So onward into the wet season, that of rugby internationals , long lunches and Christmas cheer, with a new Grandchild to look forward to any day,  ( herein referred to as GC1, 2 or 3 as appropriate) and 18 round the festive  dinner table.  Note to self, must win that Turkey Trot at the golf club again, we will need the food. Ho! Ho! Ho!