Dessert Southwest?

Last fall we scraped our yard of all living things and put down rocks and mulch and bigger rocks and more mulch. Our plan and hope was that most things would die and just our newly planted, xeric, native shrubs would be individually hose-watered and flourish alone.

And then this spring brought rain. And rain. And more rain and rain and rain. And weeds in our pristine mulch. And grass coming back and more weeds. Aaaaaand mushrooms. 

That's right. Our front yard, xerically designed and south-facing the dessert sun, is growing mounds and mounds of mushrooms. The girls make a daily habit of running around the yard with sticks knocking down the day's new sprouting caps. (We have a firm rule of no touching with skin - I'm mushroom shy.)

So much for our great xeric plan. But at least there's a silver lining: neighborhood boat design masterclasses and gutter-puddle launches.