strawberry fields

I felt so lucky to get good advice and some wonderfully thriving plants from our neighbour! She came with a whole wheelbarrow filled with plants for my garden! I did not mind to alter some of my plans and integrate her presents into my garden. Besides columbine, garlic, forget-me-not, common mulein, and linaria, most of the treasure consisted of strawberries. I do not yet know which variety she gave me, but the plants look strong and healthy.

I created two strawberry "fields": one as part of the little orchard and a central one close to my future herb, veggie, and flower garden. In both fields, I inserted their best friend: borage (borago officinalis, komkommerkruid, hjulkrone). 

Borage (borago officinalis, berganie, hjulkrone)

Borage has several advantages for strawberries:
- it attracts pollinators
- it attracts predators, like mantis and wasps to get rid of pests 
- it is a good nutrient accumulator (e.g. K, Si, Ca and P)
- it improves the flavor of strawberries!

Additional advantages: 
- it is a pretty flower
- the flowers (and leaves) are edible and look very pretty in a salad
- the bees love it
- it is one of the host plants of the painted lady butterfly 
- it is an excellent mulch plant 

Knowing that I would not be there to manage the beds for two months, I had to plant the strawberry plants and borage seeds immediately. I chose for two strategies: 
1. for my bed on a slight slope, I removed the grass sods and added white clover seeds as a future ground cover (see photo below).
2. in the other bed, situated between the fruit trees, I just removed the moss between the grass and threw my white clover seeds in between on the cleared spots.

One of my strawberry fields with borage and clover, with thanks to Karina

For a week or so, I irrigated both beds thoroughly each day and then, with a small heart, I left them for themselves... 

Then, my kind sweet neighbour gave me another present. When I told her about my frustration to have to leave my plants and seeds for some months, she said: "the birds might eat some, the slugs might take some, and the lack of rain might kill some, but some of the seeds will survive and they will be strong". To let go. I will try!