Strawberries are much easier to manage than prickly brambles.
Set out starter plants in spring, 30 centimetres apart in humus-
rich soil in a sunny bed, and mulch with compost and/or grass
clippings. Before long, wiry runners will appear. To avoid an
overcrowded tangle, pinch them off as they emerge so that all of
the plants’ energy goes into fruiting rather than increasing.
While you may have to race robins and chipmunks to ripe
fruit—netting over the patch helps—the berries you get will
taste sublime. Shallow-rooted strawberries grow well in all
manner of containers, from large pots to half wooden barrels to
special strawberry pyramids intended just for the purpose. A
30-centimetre-diameter pot holds three plants, while six will
fill a half-barrel, the berries tumbling over the sides. Use a
rich, well-drained mix prepared with sandy soil, fine compost
and/or manure, some peat moss or coir (shredded coconut husk),
and possibly vermiculite or perlite. The exact recipe is less
important than a fluffy, porous te