Lots of mushrooms. Eric said I should make a milkshake of them and pour them on my wood piles to break them down. How do I make a mushroom milkshake?
Gardening has always been more than a hobby for me—it is a mirror for my inner life. Each branch I trim, each flower I tend, and every seed I plant reflects the care I am learning to give myself. In the garden, chaos can be transformed into order, neglect into growth, and even the damage from storms or missteps can become an opportunity for renewal.
Yesterday morning, a crew came to trim my trees, and with their saws and ladders and giant heavy tools, they changed the shape of my garden. The main task was to remove the tent worms, but while they were here, other branches came down too. The result is a space that feels brighter, more open, and somehow unfamiliar. It takes time to adjust to a garden after it has been altered—light falls differently, shadows shift, and the air seems to move more freely.
But change in the garden rarely comes without cost. The men left tire tracks carved into the lawn, smashed a few outdoor lights, and trampled across flowers that had been quietly thriving. What they opened up with their hands, they also damaged with their boots. This morning, I walk through the yard taking stock—bulbs shattered, blossoms bent, soil pressed hard where it should have been soft.
And yet, this is gardening. It is never only about planting; it is also about repair. A storm, a careless step, an eager crew—each leaves its mark. The gardener’s work is to meet that disruption with patience, to put things right again, to coax beauty back from the broken edges.
The trees are lighter now, and so is the sky above my garden. Today I begin the slower work: replanting, sweeping, mending. It reminds me that a garden is always both wound and healing, loss and renewal. What feels damaged now will, with time and tending, give rise to new growth.
Mushroom milkshake:
How to Make a Mushroom Slurry for Wood Decomposition
Materials Needed:
- Decaying Mushrooms: Fresh, wood-decaying mushrooms (e.g., oyster or wine cap mushrooms).
- Blender: To create the slurry.
- Non-Chlorinated Water: Use rainwater or filtered water.
- Nutrient Source (Optional): Small amount of molasses, honey, flour, or wood ash.
- Clean Bucket: For mixing.
- Air Pump (Optional): For aeration.
Instructions:
- Harvest Mushrooms: Collect fresh, actively growing wood-decaying mushrooms.
- Combine Ingredients: Add mushrooms and non-chlorinated water to the blender (1 part mushrooms to 4 parts water).
- Blend Slurry: Blend on high until the mixture is smooth and "milkshake-like."
- Add Nutrients (Optional): Mix in molasses, honey, or flour if desired.
- Aerate Slurry: Pour the mixture into a clean bucket. Let it steep for 12–24 hours, or aerate for 24–48 hours using an air pump.
- Apply to Wood Pile: Dilute the slurry with more non-chlorinated water, then pour or spray it evenly over your wood pile.
- Maintain Moisture: Keep the wood pile moist using a tarp to retain moisture.
