Friday, December 30, 2011

Strawberries








Strawberries

It's been raining and very windy here for the past 24 hours or so and it's taken away all the snow we had just in time for Christmas. To be honest - I would rather have snow this time of the year than rain!! I plan to start a new Communities of Newfoundland and Labrador series on New Year's Day. If you have a request for specific communities, feel free to let me know and I will try to accommodate your request.

Today I chose to share photos of strawberries that I grew during summers gone by. When we lived in our house next door I had a small strawberry garden (about 8 x 8 feet) which provided delicious strawberries early each summer. The first two photos were taken after picking a few in 2001. I presently have three strawberry gardens in my new yard: two are about 12' x 12' and the other is about 3' x 10'. The first summer I moved here I planted one small bed (5' x 10') and found that each morning something had been eating the ripe berries. I've seen robins, crows, snails and a few unidentified insects eating ripened berries and that year I hardly got any for myself.

People suggested nets to keep birds out and poison for insects. However, I found a solution that didn't require nets or poisons and I am happy with it. A couple of times a day, I pick berries that are almost, but not quite, ripe and place them on a windowsill for a day or so, letting them ripen inside where they are safe. I still lose a few berries to the critters, but manage to save most of them. Last year we harvested enough to have lots of fresh strawberries, make jams and freeze some for desserts throughout the winter. I plan to double the size of the 3' x 10' in the early spring using the new plants that grew last summer and fall.

Photos of the Day are for sale as stock photographs
and photographic enlargements.
They can also be purchased as slide shows
and/or wallpapers/screensavers.

1 comment:

William F Matthews said...

Love the strawberry pics! My experience in strawberry culture matches yours - ripe berries are targets for bugs and slugs, and birds. Also, strawberry plants are apt to become weeds in the flower garden.

Christmas

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