Planting Strawberries

After being gifted about a million strawberry plants by my neighbour - which is fine with me - I took the younger two out to the garden, and we began to plant them.

Although only 7 and 5, they were very careful with the plants. I showed them how to identify the strawberry's crown (the part of the plant that the leaves sprout from) and how to be sure they weren't burying it too deep. I asked them to bring me some straw, and when they arrived with it, Squirrelly Girlie said triumphantly, "I know what this is for! It's just like at Mary's!"

She remembered going raspberry picking at the neighbour's last year, and how all the rows were mulched with straw. We talked about that, and how the strawberries like their tops warm and their roots cool. This led to an epiphany about why strawberries are called strawberries. It was all very fascinating.

The Wee Man used his toy ride-on tractor to bring more straw, like his Granddad does for the sheep. He soon went to play on the swings, and that was fine too. He'd had his experience with the plants, and he'd learned a few things.

I'm sure by the time we're done planting everything, they'll be sick of strawberry plants. But for now, it's fun, and the fun will return when we get our first berries.