For years, I have waged a friendly debate with my family in California over which state produces the best strawberries.  They are fond and proud of their varieties – and why wouldn’t they be?  After all, they really don’t know any better.  They’ve never had the best – Oregon’s berries.  And the best of the best, in my opinion, are Hoods.  They are large and sweet, and red to the core.  But they are delicate, and can’t make the long truck ride south.

I had a conversation with a farmer at the Beaverton Farmer’s Market a couple of years ago that has stuck with me.  He told me that Oregon farmers were not going to be growing Hood strawberries any more, even for the local market - they are too fragile and perishable to be profitable.    

 That is such a sad state of affairs, to know that not everyone will have access to such a wonderful fruit.  It does, however, illustrate yet again one of the reasons to grow some of  your own food.  Home gardeners can grow the very best for themselves, fragility aside. 

Now is the time to indulge in one of Oregon’s great pleasures – strawberries.  Try different varieties at the markets and see which appeal most to you.  Then find a spot in your garden and vow to grow your own next year.  I’ll give you a little hint:  the best and most economical time to plant your strawberries is early spring when we have crates and crates of bareroot berry plants here.  So make a note of your favorites and set out some plants next spring.  This time next year you will be out in your berry patch, gathering up enough for some shortcake!

What is it about growing some of your family’s food that is so satisfying?  That sense of self-sufficiency - as well as confidence in the quality and healthfulness - just can’t be beat.  It is reassuring to know that you won’t be hit with an E-coli scare with the spinach you are serving your kids, and also comforting to know what has (or has NOT) been sprayed on your blueberries….. in a world full of worries, it’s just nice to take a few things off the list.

Which brings me to the happy news that edibles are starting to arrive here!  Time to set out starts of spinach, onions, leeks, arugula, peas, potatoes, and garlic.  We’ve got the favorite perennials as well: artichoke, rhubarb, bareroot asparagus and horseradish.

And we’ve also received 11 varieties of fresh bareroot strawberry starts – 25 for $7.99.  Such a deal: not only will they produce for several years, but they continue to multiply.  How much is a flat of strawberries at the farmer’s market?  $25?  ‘Nuf said!

As you make your plans for your garden this year, remember that we have lots of resources available for you on our website.  Interested in fruit trees, but don’t know the first thing about growing them?  Or strawberries?  Blueberries?  Tomatoes?  Asparagus?  We’ve got just the help you need to be successful right out of the gate.  These handy reference sheets are available for you to download and print out as you’d like – go to http://www.farmingtongardens.com/reference.html

There is nothing healthier, more local, or more delicious than your own home-grown strawberries!   It seems like every list I’ve seen lately, listings with the “Top Ten Healthiest Foods You Should Be Eating” - every single one includes strawberries. They are packed with nutrients, especially Vitamin C! So it only makes sense to eat all we can while they are in season.  (At least that is what I tell myself…)
Fortuitously, I don’t think I’ve ever seen a better selection here at Farmington Gardens for bare-root strawberries – I counted twelve different types out there today. At $4.99 for 12 plants that will rapidly multiply into many more, that is a very sweet deal. We’ve got Albion, Diamante, Eversweet, Hecker, Hood (THE BEST, if I say so), Puget Reliance, Quinault, Rainier, Seascape, Shuksan, Tri Star, and Tribute. If you’ve never grown strawberries before, you should know they are quite easy to grow. The one competitor you will have for your crop of little beauties (other than your children!) will be slugs, but they can be easily and safely dealt with with regular doses of Sluggo (the slugs, not the children). You might want to read our hand-out for all the details on strawberries. (There are info sheets on many topics at our website to give you a helping hand.) http://www.farmingtongardens.com/pdf/infostation/47_strawberries.pdf   And if you’d like my favorite recipe for shortcake to go with those berries, let me know – I have a winner!