A taste of SUMMER

STRAWBERRIES

StrawberrieS have become a year-round, handsome but dull fruit. what was once a huge treat has an everyday blandness because the varieties that are easiest to mass produce may look good, travel well and store for a long time, but have poor flavour. the answer is to grow some yourself to remind you of what a sun-warmed, fresh strawberry really tastes like. Luckily, this is very easy to do even in the smallest garden.

before planting strawberry plants, ensure all weeds are removed, then plant them 60cm apart in all directions. they like a sunny site and welldrained, fertile soil that never becomes dried out. traditionally, strawberries were mulched with straw as soon as the green fruit developed, and this kept the berries clean and off the soil, conserved moisture and made them easier to pick.

but if you cannot get straw, landscape paper or even cardboard will do the job. birds love strawberries

so protective netting as soon as the fruit start to ripen is a good idea. at the end of the growing season, cut off all the foliage 5cm above the crown of the plant. Clear away all cut leaves and tidy the plants up in readiness for winter. this reduces the chance of disease infection and lets light and air get to the growing leaves.

Strawberries are short-lived and are best replaced every three years. there are three main kinds:

Summer fruiting strawberries, which produce the largest fruits and usually crop between late may and early July. Good varieties include ‘Cambridge Favourite’ and ‘Hapil’. autumn fruiting strawberries, which bear smaller fruits in early summer and again in early autumn. they are sometimes called perpetual or remontant strawberries. Good varieties include ‘aromel’, ‘Gento’ and ‘rapella’. aLpine strawberries with small, almost tiny fruit that are aromatic and sweet. perfect for growing in containers. netting is not essential. Good varieties include ‘alexandria’, ‘ Quattro Stagioni’ and ‘baron Solemacher’.