The Marigold School of Early Learning

09/06/2026

My dream has always been simple: a quiet little porch, surrounded by flowers and plants, coffee in hand, pajamas on, and the freedom to enjoy my own peace. 🌸☕🌿✨

Credit: Wildflour Farm

09/06/2026

Fall mushroom hunting can be a funny thing. You can spend an afternoon walking the woods and come home empty-handed—or with a couple of mushrooms hardly worth putting in the basket. Then one day you round a tree and find a Chicken of the Woods flush so large it looks like someone stacked bright orange shelves all the way up the trunk. A single cluster can get surprisingly large, sometimes weighing many pounds, which makes finding a good one feel like hitting the foraging jackpot.

That orange and yellow color is usually what catches your eye first, especially on young growth, but it’s only the beginning of the identification. Chicken of the Woods grows directly from wood and forms thick, overlapping shelves. Flip one over and you should find a surface covered in tiny pores, not true gills. I also pay attention to the tree or log it’s growing from, because different Laetiporus species are associated with different kinds of wood. Put all those clues together rather than identifying it by color alone.

That unpredictability is half the fun of heading into the woods in fall. Some days there’s nothing to bring home, some days you find a few small specimens, and every once in a while the woods give you a massive flush you’ll remember for years. Just don’t let the excitement rush the identification—before any wild mushroom makes it to the kitchen, confirm the species using multiple features and be certain of what you’ve found.

09/05/2026

See a praying mantis sitting perfectly still in the garden? It may be waiting for dinner to come to it.

Most mantises are ambush hunters. Instead of constantly chasing prey, they often remain motionless and watch for insects to move within striking distance. Then, in a sudden burst of speed, their spiny front legs snap forward and seize the prey.

Mantises can even use binocular vision to help judge whether a target is close enough to catch.

Not every motionless mantis is hunting—it could simply be resting or staying hidden. But sometimes that quiet, frozen pose is exactly what makes its hunting strategy so effective.

Next time you find one waiting among the leaves, take a closer look. A tiny garden hunt may be unfolding right in front of you.

09/05/2026

09/02/2026

A Reggio Emilia-Inspired Early Learning School for children Ages Three to five

09/02/2026

If you want to spend a special day with your child, sign up for nature-based art! Marigold Enrichment Saturdays start in October 2026! Visit my new website for more information.

A Reggio Emilia-Inspired Early Learning School for children Ages Three to five

08/31/2026

www.marigoldschoolofearlylearning.com
My new website is up and running! Check it out! 😁

A Reggio Emilia-Inspired Early Learning School for children Ages Three to five