This autumn, our secret walled-garden near Wareham, hosted another fung-tastic fungi-themed event and we're making waves in the mycology world.

What is the Secret Fungi Festival?

In late October, Careys runs an annual “Secret Fungi Festival”, attracting nature enthusiasts, fungi-foragers, mycologists and families alike. 

The festival has a strong mycology focus with talks and demonstrations covering fungal ecology, sustainable foraging and species identification — bringing fungi, mushrooms and mycelium to the forefront of the conversation. 

Hands-on activities:

Participants got to explore the woodland and garden, learn about native species, and engage in forays, foraging, mushroom log plugging, mycoremediation workshops and more. 

Community and nature entwined:

The festival combined scientific insight with the creative and artisan side of fungi — from local art in the ArtShroom Exhibition to edible mushrooms in the cookery classes by Urban Forage — this all made the festival great fun and accessible too. 

Festival co-curator Andy Knott from Jurassic Coast Mushrooms commented: 

"What can we say, 3 days of fantastic fungi! It was great to see the event had grown from the first year, with more contributors, more speakers and many more attendees. It was great to have so many more families getting involved this year. The fungi forays were fruitful and the basket weaving was again really popular! Shout out to Thirteen Restaurant for their Saturday pop-up and Christian of Urban Forage for his foraged feasts in the garden kitchen. There were some great talks and workshops held in the reclaimed barn and the art studio was full of amazing pieces!

Lastly a huge thanks to Simon (Finder of Careys Secret Garden) for hosting the event and Tink and the team for pulling off another great festival!"

For anyone already interested in fungi, mycology or families simply looking for a unique nature-based event in Dorset, this festival proved it’s not just “another woodland walk”. It elevated fungi from background nature fact to front-and-centre fascination. The turnout, energy and program of events were FUNG-tastic! And, we've already set a date for next year's event - pop 23rd - 25th October 2026 in your diaries! 

(A sneak preview of the beginnings of a new fungi-themed installation at Careys...)

The new "Mushroom Corner" - a must see installation 'growing & glowing' as part of this Winter's light trail 

If the fungi festival excited you, wait until you explore the next phase. As part of the upcoming Enchanted Gardens Light Trail this Winter at Careys Secret Garden, a new installation dubbed “Mushroom Corner” is set to steal the spotlight.

What is Mushroom Corner?

Located in the shady corner of the garden’s food-forest zone, Mushroom Corner is described as a purpose-built mycology-inspired space where fungi, mycelium and edible mushroom cultivation meet immersive garden design. 

Features include:

Inoculated logs and pathways: specially treated wood to encourage fungi growth, a visual and ecological feature.

Edible mushroom beds: including plans for a “Carey Oyster Mushroom” grown on site in collaboration with local experts. 

Andy and Sam (from Jurassic Coast Mushrooms) helped us with the installation;

"We were chuffed to be given the opportunity to install the Mushroom Corner at Careys. It’s something we’ve done at home, it’s a really fun thing to do and it’s very rewarding when you’re able to harvest your own mushrooms. 

Mushrooms are fascinating, they’re sustainable, and surprisingly easy to grow, even in small spaces. Within a shaded corner and with a bit of care, you can cultivate your own gourmet fungi like oyster, shiitake, or wine cap mushrooms right in your back garden.

Installing a mushroom corner is a rewarding way to turn an unused part of your garden into a productive, sustainable mini-ecosystem. With minimal effort, you’ll enjoy delicious homegrown mushrooms and a deeper connection to the world of fungi.

We’ve plugged a huge selection of logs with over 800 dowels at Careys, Sam created totem poles with Beech trunk and grain spawn. While I inoculated the wood chipped paths with gourmet species. It will be great to watch the corner develop over the next couple years. We’ve only introduced UK native species into this space; ranging from Oysters, Pioppino, Chicken of the Woods, Hen of the Woods, Lionsmane, Coral Tooth and Turkey Tails."

Look out for the interpretative signage and micro-habitat zones within the installation, these explain fungal life-cycles and their roles in ecosystems.

At night, as part of the light trail, the Mushroom Corner will be lit and integrated into the route — making it an exciting stop on the path around the gardens. 

Tips for visiting

Book ahead: The light trail runs from 21st November to 13th December (Thursday, Friday, Saturday evenings) at Careys Secret Garden. 

Arrive with the right gear: Because you’ll be walking through woodland/ garden at night, wear sensible footwear and a warm layer.

Click here for your Enchanted Garden Light Trail Tickets 

We look forward to welcoming you soon!