Strawberries - permie/companion planting

[tortoise]

Y'all have inspired me with pictures of flowers in the garden. I am turning a garden into strawberry bed.

My aspiration is a densely planted weed-free garden that is functional and beautiful.

I have some welsh red onion (perennial onion) set in there, might leave it there, might not.

What would you tuck in there?

 

[Daisy]

Total unintentional discovery I occasionally throw out a handful of black sunflower seeds from the stockfeed for the wild birds. Those that landed in the strawberry pots grew of their own accord. They are pretty and smaller than the tall seed type, but do still get a nice seed head I can re-grow from or give to the ducks. I pulled a few before flowering to feed the ducks as I worried so many in a pot would strangle the strawberries, but so far they seem to enjoy the company

 

[Britesea]

I decided I'm going to replace our regular strawberries with alpine strawberries this year. I'm tired of dealing with runners! Alpine strawberries are small, but way more flavorful, and the two plants I have tucked into a corner gave us about a handful of berries every other day ALL SUMMER LONG. I've got room for about 30 plants, so...

 

[tortoise]

This little garden went to heck last year. Its full of strawberry runners and I forgot to mulch again for weed suppression.

The strawberries didnt produce well and my kids eat them before I can pick them.

I will be planting something different in spring. Maybe asparagus seed again since it did so well there before.

 

[Britesea]

I transplanted a bunch of volunteer BOSS plants to the south side of the house, hoping they would help to keep the house a bit cooler; but they didn't grow tall enough. This year I will try planting some of the Mammoth strain, plus maybe a couple of hop vines if I can come up with a good trellis. Wonder if the hops outside the open windows will help us sleep? I know hops are good for that in dream pillows.

 

[wyoDreamer]

I would avoid planting hops too close to where you walk or work. There are hops growing near the porch for our side door (the door we use the most for coming and going) and the stems and leaves seem to be sticky or have tiny hairs that make them stick to the dogs. All summer long, my english setter comes into the house with pieces of hop plants stuck in his fur.

 

[Mini Horses]

Reading this and thinking I'd like a handful of tasty, fresh strawberries about now! Then remembered I had gotten some pkgs of strawberry seeds at habitat. Looked and they are Alpine . Nice accident. Sounds like I am in for a treat this summer. It's amazing what sometimes you luck into.

Since I have a tiny list of seed that I "think" I need, I will grab the containers of various seed sitting around and look before I buy. Been meaning to do but, we all know how things go. . Today will work.

 

[rodeogirl]

You could plant lupin in the center and strawberries around it that would brake up the height and add more color

 

[NH Homesteader]

That is a good idea! I'm going to copy it! We have an old kiddie pool the ducks used (when we had ducks) and I know what I'm doing with it now!

 

[tortoise]

Update:

I left the onions and stray asparagus. I walked the driveway and dug out wild strawberries. I was expecting short little "alpine" type strawberries, but was surprised these were mostly tall. I wonder if they're a wild type at all.

I split and moved clematis. This one was't rooted in the ground, but between landscape plastic and rock. The roots didn't get damaged, but the vines got ripped up. I hope it transplants okay.

I still have 25 strawberry plants on the way. I want to plant it densely, but it feels wrong!

I put wood chip mulch on thinly since I was worried about suffocating their crowns.