“Whoever does the labor enjoys the fruit.” (Nepali proverb) “¦And when it comes to enjoying homegrown fruit, there’s nothing else like it. For me, it’s the sweet tasting strawberries that take the prize, bringing me back to my fondest, if not mischievous, childhood days.
Growing Fruit in the Garden
Besides growing strawberry plants, I also have blueberries, mulberries and a cherry tree. This is my first year attempting to grow passion fruit. I’m keeping my fingers crossed. I’ve also started a lemon tree, though I’m not expecting any fruit. I’ll be tickled to see some in any event.
I’d love to grow more fruit in the garden, but there’s not much room unless I opt for a dwarf variety and grow it in a container, which is how I grow a number of plants anyhow. Peach would be nice, or maybe even a pear tree. For now, though, I’ll stick to what I already have, especially my strawberries since they’re my favorite and I love them “berry” much.
Sweet Tasting Strawberries
So why is it that strawberries take the prize for me? Yes, they’re super tasty, but for those that don’t already know it, growing strawberry fruit of my own brings me closer to my grandfather”¦ the memories anyway. He’s been gone a long while now, but some of my fondest memories were of him and his super big, super delightful, super sweet strawberries. As a kid I used always steal a handful or two of the juicy berries whenever we visited in springtime and then hide out near the backyard garden pond to eat them.
I knew that one day I wanted to grow these sweet treats just like him, and eventually I did. It took some trial and error, but growing strawberries in the garden today comes easy enough. Maybe it’s grandpa’s loving hands that guide me”¦ perhaps his green thumb (if there truly is such a thing). As much as I enjoy gardening and growing plants, it’s always the strawberries I think of most and those childhood memories. In fact, after my divorce I was able to snag a couple strawberry plants from my old home. These were the first I’d ever successfully grown”¦ just like grandpa. I stuck them in a container and took them with me. They traveled to three different places before finally settling in at my current residence. Though I’ve transplanted daughters (runners) in other areas, I still have one of the original strawberry plants in a hanging basket. And I’m still snatching fruit every spring, taking me back to the days when I was little.
Life’s a journey, so wherever life takes me I will be sure to grow strawberry plants in the garden (or container). To me, there’s no other fruit I’d rather have.
