because, strawberries

A few years ago I purchased a handful of strawberry plants for fun from Stark Bros. when I purchased our blackberry bushes. I didn't realize how much room strawberries would need to grow since they vine so rapidly. Due to transplanting to a new place each year (for space) we really haven't reaped much from the plants.

In the fall of 2015 we moved about 50 plants to a new location with not the best of soil. Last Spring nothing was harvested and we really just forgot about the plants except for the occasional moment of weeding.

This year, though, there is no forgetting these plants. For the past two weeks we have been harvesting almost daily and are already over the 50 pound mark! The fruit tastes amazing fresh, and that is mostly how we have been eating them. I've also make a strawberry syrup which tastes heavenly over homemade waffles, and we've been enjoying strawberries in our salads, with lettuce and kale fresh from the garden. A strawberry pie has been repeatedly requested, and, yes, I really do need to make one! I also have been able to put 20 quarts in the freezer for later in the year and shared many with neighbors and family.

Since we were not expecting anything from these plants, I think just because we hadn't reaped much from them yet, this is quite the surprise for May and gives me one other reason to love my favorite season of Spring.