Strawberry season is here!

The very first strawberry of the season!

Today’s breakfast will feature the very first strawberry of the season. Is there a better way to start the day?

I’d grow strawberries just for their fruit (who wouldn’t?), but they actually have another job in the Outlaw Garden: groundcover. I planted a few mystery plants last spring, and they’ve done nothing but flourish since then. The mother plants — transplanted from my mother’s strawberry patch — have produced dozens (hundreds?) of offspring. Now, each of those plants is loaded with berries. The slugs will get a few, but the rest will turn into breakfasts, snacks and strawberry jam. Yum!

I’ll share more about growing strawberries as groundcover in a later post. In the meantime, here are a few more photos of the plants. I love how they ramble through the garden, mixing with the blueberry bushes, herbs and vegetables.

Strawberries and oregano share space along the edge of the garden path.

I originally planted the strawberries as a groundcover for the blueberry bushes. Seems to be working out — here is a Northland blueberry surrounded by strawberries.

I've scattered 'Music' hardneck garlic around the garden. Here, it dances with some strawberries. I'm loving how the strongly vertical garlic leaves contrast with the softer and rounder strawberries.