Mushroom Mania

Today was a mushroom kind of day, but not the magic kind.  It started with me filling a bucket with real mushrooms from the lawn.  We have an evil ferry ring which for the most part you don't notice until we get a lot of rain.  Then a lovely arch shape of mushrooms seems to popup over night.  They lay just low enough that the lawnmower just kisses their little heads.

Then I moved into the garage for a concrete mushroom project.  I want to add little things to my garden for interest and everything is so expensive.  I recently watched a video on how to make a mushroom out of cement.  Hey...I can do that!   So it was off to the dollar store to look for a suitable stem and shroom head container.  I found some perfect things!

Then it was off to home depot to get some cement.  I am not sure what to use but know it has to be actual concrete, not mortar.  So the $8 bag of high strength cement was selected.  Luckily Chad was with me as those bags are freaking heavy.

So now back in the garage I am good to go.  I used an old litter tray and my garden shovel to mix the cement.  You just add water so it's not too hard.  I sprayed the inside of my containers with cooking oil which hopefully will help get the shapes out after.  If not the cheap dollar store containers can be sacrificed.

Once the cement was mixed the stem and bowl for the top was filled.  I put some nails in the bottom of the stem to keep it put in the ground once its done.  There is also a nut and bolt embedded to screw the top and bottom together after. This mushroom should be about 14 inches tall when its done and took about half a bag of cement.

Now it's just a wait for it all to dry event. I have them in the garage where its cooler so it doesn't dry to fast which i guess is not good for cement.  It will take a couple of days to see if this worked or not.  I will post an update.  That was fun...next I am going to press a rhubarb leaf and also make a ball that I can decorate with glass. 

I love days off!!!