The Good Life - Amantia Phalloides or Death Cap (absolutely deadly)

Bees continue the important process of pollination

Corinne has retreated to Franche Comte and I have been left on my own to weed and attend to a few small tasks in the allotment. The weather was forecasted to be unsettled for the last few days and this weekend but it has actually been quite refreshing, being mild with a cooling breeze and intermittent spells of bright sunshine. Generally "unsettled" means you should always have a coat to hand to protect you from frequent showers.

With a solid dose of optimism I walked confidently to the allotment early this morning and went for my usual forays in the forests but was disappointed only to find one bolet and a few amethyst deceivers. I simply noted their position but did not pick them. I also took the opportunity to inspect the growth of the blackberries and elderberries because they will be ripening soon. I am aware of a few wild souls who may be experimenting with making elderflower wine this year but I will definitely be making making another batch of blackberry jelly this year.

Patisson

The patisson, or patty pan squash, plant has provided us with one good sized patisson to date and is currently producing three more; they should be ready to pick in about two weeks. I tried a potato and patisson gratinee with the last one and will fine tune this recipe for the next crop and report back in due course. The courgettes are growing nicely and some courgettes which are meant to be butternut squash are also developing well. I will have to chat to Corinne about this planting error upon her return!

While the broad beans appear to have been a failure this year, I am quite hopeful that the current dry (or shall we say less wet) spell will provide a good crop of yellow and green french beans. These plants are progressing well in their raised beds, and we should be able to have a few meals from them in the coming weeks. A second crop of peas and broad beans are also progressing quite quickly which is encouraging and we might yet be able to put a decent plate of broad beans on the table. Meanwhile our crop of salad leaves and lettuce is coming on very well. These were initially planted among the corn and transplanted out into a bed once the first drop of peas had been cleared.

Wonderful head of red lettuce

Walking home, I took a detour through Newbridge house and among the oak trees I noticed a solitary mushroom growing on the ground close to one of the smaller trees. The round broadly convex cap was shiny but patchy in places with a metallic ivory colouring. Beneath the cap the ringlike veil was unbroken; this thin fibrous delicate skin covered the gills. The cap measured in the region of 120mm in diameter. The thick stem had a large volval sack attached to its base. This was a young mushroom and it did not have a distinctive smell.

Amanita Phalloides

View of the foot and underside of the cap of the Aminita phalloides

While magnificent, the Amanita phalloides is deadly poisonous and should not be picked. There is no known antidote to the toxins in this mushroom. It ultimately causes liver and kidney failure so do not touch it, and if it does end up in your basket of wild mushrooms throw the entire basket away because the deadly poisonous spores will become attached to other mushrooms. This Amanita is in season from late Summer through to the Autumn and is mycorrhizal with the oak tree but has been found growing with other deciduous trees. I removed it because there were children playing closeby and generally running around the park area, but I took great care carrying it away and carefully washed my hands afterwards.

Aminita phalloides cross section

A short weekend excursion on foot these days rarely leaves me with nothing of note; every step and glance can reveal a great variey of nature's beautiful and deadly creations. In particular, August marks an important turning point bringing the Summer to a close and turning attentions towards the harvest. Looking ahead the riches of Autumn are yet to come as trees and shrubs end their annual cycle producing their fruit.