CULTIVATING    

CONNECTIONS

This year, we are proud to present an immersive display celebrating the beauty and benefits of edible and functional mushrooms.

Our exhibit sets the scene of an undulating woodland floor, with a gentle mist that reveals a luscious mossy environment, adorned with a variety of mushrooms flourishing in their natural habitat – bringing the natural world of fungi to life.

Above this stand a selection of cultivated mushrooms, elevated on a network of interlocking metal forms, representing the mycelium network that quietly supports life beneath the surface.

‘Cultivating Connections’ is all about connecting people to the powerful potential of mushrooms - we invite you to explore the diverse world of fungi and their transformative role in ecosystems.

Discover how growing mushrooms at home not only nurtures sustainability but also revolutionises our approach to food, health, and the environment.

Join us in uncovering how the humble mushroom can change the way we think about what we eat and how we live.

Scroll down to learn about the individual mushrooms on our display…

Proudly sponsored by

At Caley Brothers Mushrooms, we believe in the power of cultivating connections - with nature, our food, and the world around us.

Learn more about our RHS display, the mushrooms, how to grow them and why growing your own is a must…

King Oyster Mushroom - Pleurotus eryngii


The largest of the oyster mushroom family, King Oysters have thick, meaty stems and tall upturned caps.

  • Rich, savoury and slightly sweet with a firm, satisfying texture full of umami depth.

  • King Oysters are hard to find truly fresh — but homegrown, they reach their full potential in flavour and form. Their dense stems and crown-like caps develop beautifully indoors, delivering restaurant-quality mushrooms with unbeatable taste and texture.

    They’re also functional mushrooms, naturally rich in antioxidants and compounds that support immunity and heart health — making them as nourishing as they are delicious.

  • King Oysters grow year-round indoors in cool, humid conditions. They thrive with regular misting and a little patience, rewarding you with large, dense mushrooms.

    For best results, grow them on a hardwood sawdust substrate enriched with wheat bran or soy hulls — a mix that mirrors their natural habitat and helps produce those famously meaty stems.

Grey Oyster Mushroom - Pleurotus ostreatus


A classic and versatile mushroom, Grey Oysters are one of the easiest varieties to grow - producing generous harvests with minimal effort.

  • Mild, earthy, and subtly nutty. Grey Oysters have a delicate texture that readily absorbs the flavours of any dish.

  • Fresh, fast-growing and highly versatile, Grey Oysters are a sustainable and delicious addition to any kitchen or garden.

    An understated functional mushroom, they support immunity, digestion, and heart health, offering antioxidant, cholesterol-lowering and anti-inflammatory benefits — and they also play a role in mycoremediation, helping break down pollutants in the environment.

  • Grey Oysters grow well year-round they thrive on many accessible substrates from coffee grounds to cardboard with a variety of growing methods — making them a reliable and rewarding crop for any skill level.

Lion’s Mane Mushroom - Hericium erinaceus


Lion’s Mane is one of the most visually striking mushrooms — and prized for both its delicate flavour and powerful functional benefits.

  • Mild, slightly sweet with a tender juicy texture.

  • Growing your own ensures you enjoy it at peak freshness, with its full flavour and texture intact.

    As a functional mushroom, Lion’s Mane is especially valued for its potential to support brain and nerve health, cognitive function, memory, and gut health — thanks to unique compounds like hericenones and erinacines.

    They’re also functional mushrooms, naturally rich in antioxidants and compounds that support immunity and heart health — making them as nourishing as they are delicious.

  • Lion’s Mane grows best in cool, humid conditions with good airflow to help it develop its characteristic spines. It thrives indoors year-round on Ready-to-Grow kits, producing large, snowy-white clusters in just a few weeks.

Yellow Oyster Mushroom - Pleurotus citrinopileatus


They are a true showstopper - fast-growing, vibrant and full of flavour, they bring both beauty and bounty to your grow space.

  • Mild, nutty, and slightly sweet, with a light buttery texture that crisps beautifully when pan-fried or roasted. Often compared to cashews in flavour.

  • Yellow Oysters are rarely seen in shops due to their fragility and short shelf life, but when grown at home, they’re a striking and delicious treat. Their vivid colour and rapid growth make them one of the most visually rewarding varieties to cultivate.

    They also offer functional benefits, supporting immune health, gut balance, and cardiovascular wellness, while contributing anti-inflammatory compounds to a balanced diet.

  • Best grown indoors on straw-based substrates or Ready-to-Grow  kit Yellow Oysters thrive in warm, humid conditions with regular misting to prevent drying out.

Pink Oyster Mushroom -  Pleurotus djamor


Strikingly vibrant with petal-like caps, they are as beautiful as they are delicious - a true showstopper in the grow room or on the plate.

  • Rich with subtle smoky undertones.

  • Pink Oysters are rarely seen in shops due to their delicate nature, but at home they grow fast and flourish dramatically. Watching them unfurl in just days is a rewarding and colourful experience.

    They’re also packed with protein, antioxidants, and micronutrients - making them as nutritious as they are eye-catching.

  • Best suited to warm environments, Pink Oysters grow exceptionally well on Ready-to-Grow kits or straw-based substrates. They thrive in temperatures of 20–30°C and need regular misting to stay hydrated. Expect rapid growth and multiple flushes with the right care.

Shiitake -  Lentinula edodes


Shiitake has a distinctive, wrinkled cap and a satisfyingly firm texture. Homegrown Shiitake often grow much larger and pack far more flavour.

  • Deep, savoury umami with rich, smoky notes and a dense bite.

  • Freshly harvested Shiitake offer a bold, complex flavour and superior texture compared to supermarket versions.

    They’re also a powerful functional mushroom — naturally rich in compounds that support immunity, heart health, and cholesterol balance. Expose freshly picked Shiitake to sunlight and they’ll become supercharged with vitamin D, making them a true nutrient powerhouse.

  • Indoor cultivation is ideal for convenience and quicker harvests, while log growing produces larger mushrooms with deeper flavour.

    Logs should be kept in a shaded, moist environment, and soaked periodically to trigger fruiting.

    We have a selection in indoor and out door growing project to get you growing.

Common Mushroom - Agaricus bisporus var. hortensis


Also known as Closed Cap, Cremini, or Portobello (when fully mature), this is the classic mushroom found in shops and kitchens worldwide.

  • Mild, earthy, and slightly nutty with a firm, familiar texture

  • Homegrown brown mushrooms are fresher, firmer, and more flavourful than supermarket options. While most commercial mushrooms are grown in peat, home cultivation allows you to grow them peat-free in more sustainable composts.

    They’re also functional fungi — rich in B vitamins, selenium, and antioxidants. When placed in sunlight after harvest, their vitamin D content can be significantly increased.

  • Agaricus bisporus grows in trays or containers filled with peat-free compost or a rich, organic substrate. 

    A cool, shaded environment with daily watering is perfect. Mushrooms will begin to form within 10–14 days, cropping in flushes over 2–3 weeks.

    You can learn how to grow your own common Mushrooms with our shed book ‘Project Mushroom - page 97 ‘Shed Growing’.

Maitake - Grifola frondosa


Maitake forms stunning, layered rosettes at the base of hardwood trees. It’s both a culinary delicacy and a powerful functional mushroom.

  • Deeply earthy and rich, with slightly peppery notes.

  • Studied for its ability to support immune function, heart health, blood sugar balance, digestion, and overall well-being. Growing Maitake connects you to a mushroom with centuries of cultural and medicinal importance - and the satisfaction of nurturing something truly special.

  • Maitake can be cultivated indoors in controlled conditions or outdoors on hardwood logs such as oak or beech. It’s a slow grower and requires patience - colonisation and fruiting can take several months.

AVAILABLE AUTUMN 2025

Enoki Mushrooms - Flammulina velutipes


Enoki mushrooms are known for their long, slender stems and golden caps. They’re prized for their mild, slightly sweet flavour.

  • Delicate, mild, and slightly sweet with a crisp, crunchy texture when fresh.

  • Enokis are typically grown indoors in controlled environments, thriving in cooler temperatures. Growing them at home ensures superior freshness and flavour.

    Enokis are a nutritious mushroom, rich in antioxidants, dietary fibre, and B vitamins, supporting immune function and digestive health.

  • Best grown indoors on Ready-to-Grow Kits. Golden Enokis require cool temperatures and high humidity.

    They also need low light to encourage long, slender stems.

    Indoor cultivation typically involves maintaining a humid environment with regular misting.

AVAILABLE AUTUMN 2025

Cordyceps -  Cordyceps militaris


Bright orange and club-shaped, they are a fascinating functional mushrooms, traditionally valued for energy, stamina, and resilience.

  • Mild, earthy, and slightly savoury — often used dried in teas, broths, or tinctures.

  • Growing your own offers a potent, personal supply of this prized mushroom, rich in cordycepin and other bioactive compounds.

    They’re celebrated for supporting energy metabolism, endurance, immune health, and recovery — traditionally used by athletes and for overall vitality.

  • We have cultivated our display Cordyceps indoors on sterilised brown rice enriched with a nutrient broth -with the guidance of Kaizen Cordyceps.

    Cordyceps need warm temperatures, high humidity, and indirect light. Though slower to grow than some varieties, they reward patience with vivid, nutrient-dense fruiting bodies.

    You too can grow your own, visit Kaizen Cordyceps to start your growing journey.

Turkey tail -  Trametes versicolor


Renowned for its incredible health benefits and medicinal properties - with vibrant, fan-shaped caps that resemble a wild turkey's tail,

  • Earthy, woody, and slightly bitter, Turkey Tail is typically used in teas or tinctures rather than as a culinary mushroom.

  •  Turkey Tail is prized for its immune-boosting, anti-inflammatory, and antioxidant properties, often used in traditional medicine to support overall health. Growing it at home ensures a fresh, high-quality supply of this powerful mushroom.

  • Turkey Tail can be easily cultivated indoors on supplemented hardwood sawdust blocks.

    It thrives in cool temperatures and requires high humidity and good airflow for optimal growth.

    Fruiting takes patience but results in beautiful, multi-coloured clusters. Regular misting and indirect light will help produce healthy fruiting bodies.

    Turkey Tail also benefits from a long incubation period before fruiting, with multiple harvests possible from a single block.

AVAILABLE AUTUMN 2025

Fruiting Mushroom Logs - Golden Horn Farm

Fruiting mushroom logs nestle amongst our woodland floor and beneath our mush columns.

These mushrooms have been pre-inoculated using the timber dowel method and stored and nurtured for unto 18 months in a humid environment.

  • Shiitake on hardwood logs -

    You can learn more about grow your own mushroom logs with our easy to grow guide and kits HERE

  • We have sourced some amazing, ready inoculated mushroom logs from Golden Horn Mushrooms for many years - with huge success and satisfaction when they pop just in time for our exhibitors.

    Golden Horn Farm “a small scale mushroom farm committed to producing the highest quality mushrooms and mushroom products with integrity, full traceability, no fluff, no creepy, humourless marketing tactics.

    We are here to foster connections and curiosity and to share the lessons brought to us from the underworld.

Wild fruiting mushroom logs -  RhizoPhyllia


Known for their long, slender stems and golden caps. They’re prized for their mild, slightly sweet flavour.

  • Natural inoculated wild logs loaned to us by RxhizoPhyllia.

    You can learn more about grow your own mushroom logs with our easy to grow guide and kits HERE

  • We first met Eddie from RxhizoPhyllia at RHS Hampton Court in 2024 - we have since been massively inspired by his passion and ability to share his extensive knowledge on how to make the world a better place.

    RxhizoPhyllia “Our mission is to teach new insights and a fresh perspective of gardening, so you can grow nutrient-rich food and connect with nature.

    We care about nature, humans, and the planet. We’re doing our bit to make the world a better place from the ground up.

Moss - Highland Moss

Our exhibit sets the scene with an undulating moss covered woodland floor and a gentle mist that reveals a luscious mossy environment,

Adorned with a variety of mushrooms flourishing in their natural habitat, we’re bringing the natural world of fungi to life.

  • Our woodland floor is made from a variety of mosses -

    Dicranum Scoparium cushions

    Feather moss

    Little shaggy moss

    Waved silk moss

    Reindeer lichen on red stemmed feather moss

    and a stunning ‘Pretty Kitty’

  • We have worked with Highland Moss for the past 3 years, using their moss as part of our medal winning exhibits.

    Highland Moss “Our fresh moss is carefully handpicked in Northeast Scotland through agreements with local working forest owners -collected just before forestry operations would otherwise destroy it. We’re proud to supply award-winning show gardens at RHS Chelsea Flower Show and BBC Gardeners’ World Live every year.”

Reishi - Ganoderma lucidum


Its lacquered, fan-shaped caps and woody texture, it’s grown more for its health benefits than culinary use

  • Bitter and earthy with a woody consistency - not typically eaten fresh, but ideal for making teas, tinctures, and powders.

  • Also known as the “Mushroom of Immortality,”

    It’s a powerful functional mushroom, renowned for supporting immune health, reducing inflammation, improving sleep quality, and promoting calm and resilience during stress.

  • Reishi can be cultivated on supplemented hardwood blocks and are ideal for forming beautiful, antler-like fruiting bodies when grown in sealed high-CO₂ conditions.

    Or for outdoor growing logs must be inoculated and incubated in a shady, moist area. Fruiting may take 9–12 months but can continue for several years.

By exploring the potential of mushrooms, we can transform not only our diets but also our relationship with the environment.

Join us in discovering how growing you own mushrooms can deepen our connection to nature and change the way we eat, live and think about our world.

Join us and start your mushroom growing journey today.