Can't help, no idea, sorry - answered so I can see any other answers from people who do know what they are, cos I'd like to know too!

That is bizarre! No idea either sorry x

Some thing from Lord of the Rings? Nope, sorry don't know, unless they are a hoax to get us all going!!!:))

It strikes me that the must be some sort of fungi to have grown that fast out of nowhere though. But they look for all the world like ornamental trunks someone's placed there for decorative effect...

Can you get closer with the camera? I'm bothered about the ring like structure and what appears to be moss growing on the sides facing the camera and the fixed colours, brown at the base greenish for the rest. Do you know if the inside is like a normal trunk/stem or fibrous? Maybe it will put leaves out or eat your friend then we'll know better. Personally I would have cut them off every time I mowed the lawn so they would never have got that high. If this was April 1st I would understand better.

Lol, Cutsandgrazes...

Wow, no idea but very interesting. What height are they please.

The more I look at them the less I think they are living...

You are not pulloing our legs are you Jeanette ;-)))) They look like man-made craftwork to me.

Must have been trimming the grass at the bottom - its not grown up around the bases at all...

So the whatever's has been lifted up the grass mown and then placed back down... If they've been there two weeks and the lawn hasn't grown in that time your friend has a real problem.

They look like termite mounds!!! (A couple of weeks - yikes!)

They definitely look as if they've been placed on top of the grass.

Thanks to everyone for their comments. I cannot answer any of your questions. As far as I know it's not a joke nor anything man-made. However, I'm going to ask the person in whose garden they are, to get onto this site himself and answer your questions.
From Jeanette

Sorry, have just had a confession and I have been the victim of a prank;) they are in fact garden art-work made from earthenware. Well it would have been fun to have identified a new species. From Jeanette

!

Well, I have to admit, when I first saw the picture, I thought this is a fake, they've been put there - too evenly spaced apart, etc., but I didn't want to be rude and say that. But I'm disappointed - would have been great if they really had just grown, lol!

lol.....

I did say didn't I? ;)

LoL, fun though :-)))))))))))))

Yeah! :)))

Ah well - at least we recognised it was a prank! No harm done Jeanette.

Heee heeeeee good one :)

Great garden ornaments! i thought termites too, but a too narrow.