Berry-licious.

It's official. Spring swooped in and landed with full force. Yes, Poor Richard and his Almanac would disagree and remind me that March 20 was the official first day of spring.

He's wrong.

As any gardener knows, spring arrives with a ritual.

The Tasting of the Strawberries.
 

Honestly, what heralds spring more than the first scent of newly picked, perfectly ripened strawberries? It's edible aromatherapy.

I treat the first berries of the season as if I'm a pretentious vintner. Immediately after plucking the first, perfect fruit from its stem, I hold it close and inhale...banishing winter memories and infusing the stale, recycled air with sweetness.

(I do draw the line at swirling and spitting.)

From the time our children were young, spring meant anxiously awaiting the first days of strawberry picking. (To find your nearest strawberry patch, check out pickyourown.org.) Last year, however, we planted strawberries throughout our gardens—outlining the quadrants of the potager, as well as the kids' raised bed garden. This year, the plants are full and lush with blooms...and now, fruit.

My family can't get enough strawberries. So, in addition to the gardens, we have fraise des bois—tiny alpine strawberries—in pots by the driveway.

Strawberries have taken over our landscape. To find creative and interesting ways to incorporate more of the lovely fruit into your edible landscape, please visit

http://growingdays.blogspot.com

Happy Gardening!

Julie