may 10: strawberries

I love having a garden and growing things, mostly because I just love food. Especially fresh food. But having strawberries in our very own yard seems too good to be true! Last year I purchased 100 strawberry plants in January, when some online garden store was having a major sale. I think I paid $25-30 for all of them. I bought 25 June bearing plants, and 75 everbearing plants. They came in a small box, looking ratty and not like a flourishing plant. We planted those stringy leafless roots, and hoped for the best. We dutifully, painfully, picked off all the flowers last year so they wouldn't fruit (which I've read conflicting advice about...some say it doesn't matter) but would put all their energy into creating a luscious plant the next year. And did they ever.

After several months in the ground- starting to get some green leaves.

The only downside is that I got pregnant and didn't feel like going out there to prune all those runners while it was hot and I was throwing up. So they multiplied and now we probably have 200 plants, very close together. I don't have a picture, but imagine that strawberry plot, extended a foot on each side, and packed with plants. The rows are gone, as is any semblance of space between the plants. However, we may have enough berries to last us the year, plus some. If the Lord is gracious and the slugs don't eat them all, we should be set. Last year I picked them at a farm, and we used about 60 lbs. between June 2011 and April 2012. Here's hoping for at least that many this year!

Strawberries picked last year- I just used up the last of them a few weeks ago.

Our plants beginning to flower- now they are covered in berries!