Life is interconnected and so are the topics on this blog. From the garden to the backcountry, these are the the experiences that bring astonishing joy to my life of voluntary simplicity in Montana.
They are the absolute best aren't they? One year we picked 33lbs of strawberries out of our little patch,so my husband made wine with some of the bounty! Enjoy!
We were quite shocked, I would say the patch at that time was about 10x10, it was just a bumper year for strawberries and I guess the weather was exactly what they wanted and they just went crazy. The wine was extremely good, we spent many a winter evening enjoying a glass! Dave makes most excellent blueberry wine too.
Matt looks supremely happy! I buy California strawberries that are red all the way through, sweet, and juicy. The local ones, grown three miles from me are only red on the outside and sweet on the inside, bitter, and hard. I wonder if backyard tomatoes are like the CA strawberries.
I would be out every day, eating all the strawberries if I had a patch. Yum!
How odd! Most of the store-bought strawberries I've had are from CA, but they are hit or miss on quality, often they are fine, but frequently they're white on the inside and not so melt-in-your-mouth sweet. I've never had any local strawberries other than these though, so I wouldn't know about that.
I will say this about CA strawberries: They are the reason Matt eats strawberries at all. He thought he didn't like them. Too many seeds, he said. Then we had some at a roadside stand in CA two years ago and now he is a strawberry convert. Those are still probably the best I've ever had. Though these garden ones might be edging them out of the competition!
I didn't either until this year. Matt, ever the garden nut, learned there are June-Bearing and Ever-Bearing. June bearing are the standard and in spring (often June) produce a large quantity of large sized berries all in a few weeks time. That is what makes them desirable for preserving. Ever-Bearing can produce up to three crops a year. One usually in June, one in mid-summer, and the last in early fall. The berries are smaller and the plants are not as productive.
Matt can't get enough of garden experiments so he planted both. We pulled the blossoms off for most of the summer because it is supposed to help them root better and be more productive plants. But, we let this last batch from the Ever-Bearing plants go to fruit.
They taste sooo different don't they? I must say after growing my own raspberries last year the difference between store and home grown was a revelation! As for strawberries, well, I was just thinking the other day that I need to move my patch out of the vegie garden (they keep throwing out runners which apparently stops them fruiting) into post. My potted ones did much better last year. Do you grow yours in the garden or in pots?
The difference is remarkable! I am eager for homegrown raspberries. They are possibly my favorite fruit of all. Next year!
The raspberries and strawberries have their own beds in the garden. We have brick borders, but I doubt that will stop the runners from trying to take over the neighboring beds in due time. This year we've been snipping off the runners. I think the plan is that when the mother plants start to decline in productivity we will let some of the runners set, but frankly, its all new to us and we're learning on the fly. So far so good!
Love your pics of colorful tasty produce. Our coolish weather (compared with other places) must help the strawberries too. We have a few raspberry bushes like that (wish they all were).
They are the absolute best aren't they? One year we picked 33lbs of strawberries out of our little patch,so my husband made wine with some of the bounty!
ReplyDeleteEnjoy!
Bean
33 lbs!! Oh my! That is hard for me to even imagine! How big is your patch and how was the wine?
DeleteWe were quite shocked, I would say the patch at that time was about 10x10, it was just a bumper year for strawberries and I guess the weather was exactly what they wanted and they just went crazy.
DeleteThe wine was extremely good, we spent many a winter evening enjoying a glass! Dave makes most excellent blueberry wine too.
Bean
Matt looks supremely happy! I buy California strawberries that are red all the way through, sweet, and juicy. The local ones, grown three miles from me are only red on the outside and sweet on the inside, bitter, and hard. I wonder if backyard tomatoes are like the CA strawberries.
ReplyDeleteI would be out every day, eating all the strawberries if I had a patch. Yum!
How odd! Most of the store-bought strawberries I've had are from CA, but they are hit or miss on quality, often they are fine, but frequently they're white on the inside and not so melt-in-your-mouth sweet. I've never had any local strawberries other than these though, so I wouldn't know about that.
DeleteI will say this about CA strawberries: They are the reason Matt eats strawberries at all. He thought he didn't like them. Too many seeds, he said. Then we had some at a roadside stand in CA two years ago and now he is a strawberry convert. Those are still probably the best I've ever had. Though these garden ones might be edging them out of the competition!
huh. I had no idea you could harvest fall strawberries! They look beautiful.
ReplyDeleteI didn't either until this year. Matt, ever the garden nut, learned there are June-Bearing and Ever-Bearing. June bearing are the standard and in spring (often June) produce a large quantity of large sized berries all in a few weeks time. That is what makes them desirable for preserving. Ever-Bearing can produce up to three crops a year. One usually in June, one in mid-summer, and the last in early fall. The berries are smaller and the plants are not as productive.
DeleteMatt can't get enough of garden experiments so he planted both. We pulled the blossoms off for most of the summer because it is supposed to help them root better and be more productive plants. But, we let this last batch from the Ever-Bearing plants go to fruit.
They taste sooo different don't they? I must say after growing my own raspberries last year the difference between store and home grown was a revelation! As for strawberries, well, I was just thinking the other day that I need to move my patch out of the vegie garden (they keep throwing out runners which apparently stops them fruiting) into post. My potted ones did much better last year. Do you grow yours in the garden or in pots?
ReplyDeleteThe difference is remarkable! I am eager for homegrown raspberries. They are possibly my favorite fruit of all. Next year!
DeleteThe raspberries and strawberries have their own beds in the garden. We have brick borders, but I doubt that will stop the runners from trying to take over the neighboring beds in due time. This year we've been snipping off the runners. I think the plan is that when the mother plants start to decline in productivity we will let some of the runners set, but frankly, its all new to us and we're learning on the fly. So far so good!
Never tasted fresh strawberries, hmm... I eat store-brought strawberries for breakfast every morning! Now I'm envious ;-)
ReplyDeleteI guess its one of those things where since you don't know what you're missing its all good! :)
DeleteLove your pics of colorful tasty produce. Our coolish weather (compared with other places) must help the strawberries too. We have a few raspberry bushes like that (wish they all were).
ReplyDelete