Gigantic fungi have sprouted in London’s Kew Gardens, thanks to sculptor Tom Hare, who created an installation called Fungi Fairy Ring for the IncrEdibles exhibit, a celebration of “autumn’s edible delights” that runs through November 3rd. Working with mycologists from Kew’s Fungarium, Hare created a series of sculptures made from woven willow, representing seven different species of native edible fungi. The sculptures, which tower up to 12 feet, are based on close collaboration with scientists to ensure that they not only portray each type of fungus accurately, but also show various stages of their life cycles. Not to mention that their giant size makes them ideal to use as backdrops for photos of full-sized humans as gnomes and fairies.
They also provide a perfect visual for the UK’s first National Fungus Day, which takes place this coming Sunday, October 13. It will be celebrated at Kew with a full program of events including tours of the Fungarium, fungi-spotting walks, model-building and mushroom soup. Many other events are happening in other cities – see ukfungusday.co.uk for details
The Finch and Pea 
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