Strawberry patch

LOOK!!!!! I found this in the garden just last week! I was stunned. Especially since our strawberry patch was mostly flattened this summer.


Shocking.

Now, this could be the last strawberry action in the patch for awhile .... because, well, the utility company had to dig up part of my garden so it could take care of stuff. :( But there are some entertaining photos to come from that.

Strawberry patch update

Overall, it's been a successful year for strawberries at our house! Just look at our beauties! :)


Plenty of ripe berries.



And baby berries, too!

The most difficult thing is you have to keep picking them .... every day. It's not like tomatoes where you'll get 3 one day and then wait a few days before getting more.

Plus, weeds overtook my garden for about 3 weeks, so I'm just getting to where I can see everything, strawberries included!


Also a strong start for the zucchini. They're big and beautiful now, and we're waiting on them to start producing ... because we can't wait to grill 'em up!


Oh, how I love thee, homegrown strawberries!

Safe strawberries?

Let's recap: Evil birds ate my strawberries last year. This year, I have sworn an oath to protect them, and built protection. All is right in the world.

Until you look a little closer.


A few weeks after building my strawberry cage, I was in the backyard. And I looked. And did a double take. And then had to look a little closer.


Strawberry blossoms were growing UP THROUGH the chicken wire protection.


NO BABIES!!! TURN AROUND, BE SAFE FROM THE BIRDS OF THE AIR!!!!


Alas, I feel like the scientist in Jurassic Park: Nature found a way.

So it looks like I'll have to cover (at least portions) of my strawberry patch/cage with screen. *sigh*

Any other ideas? Maybe I should get more RR ties and stack them 2 high around the patch, that way they can grow as tall as they want, and I would just put the chicken wire barrier on top of the 2nd RR tie?

Saving the strawberries

Two years ago when Erik and I started our gardening venture, we (ahem, I) planted strawberries. I'd read up on them quite a bit, and knew the first year, I had to pinch the flowers and let the roots establish. SO, no harvest during year 1. You can imagine how excited I was last year to have a strawberry harvest.

Things looked so promising HERE. Yet, that strawberry you see is the only one we picked out of the garden. Why? THE BIRDS. :( DARN YOU, BIRDS!!!!!!!!

This year, I am going to fight those pesky buggards.

Which brings me to my strawberry cage.


The garden before anything is added.



The beginning of my plan.


I had to acquire a new tool, staple gun, for the task. I was excited to get a new tool, but not excited to get blisters from using it. Chicken wire is NOT fun to roll out. It's pokey.


TA-DA!!!!!


I decided hinges would be nice so I could more easily access things.


SAFE AT LAST!!!!!!!!!!!!

Or so I thought .... I did this about a month ago, and have been delayed in posting. Stay tuned for what happened next ...