Add a dash of country chic to any space with this living strawberry wreath. The leaves on the strawberry plant add wonderful texture punctuated by sweet white blossoms and tender green and red berries. Harvest the strawberries throughout summer to add to your favorite dishes, or pop them directly into your mouth. There is nothing quite like the aroma and taste of a sun-ripened strawberry freshly picked! This early summer bloomer beckons family and friends outside to enjoy a glass of strawberry lemonade on the patio.
| 11-inch wreath base |
| 10 strawberry plants |
Planning the Design
You will want to purchase young strawberry plants. This will allow for easy planting into a wreath. Any strawberry variety will work wonderfully, but be sure to pick the healthiest-looking plants.
Prepping the Plants
Gently remove the plants from their plastic pots. If plants don’t slide out easily, give the side of the pot a squeeze and carefully pull out the plant. With forceps, knock off excess soil to expose the roots.
Planting the Strawberries
Start with a dampened wreath base.
With forceps or a screwdriver, make a hole through the moss and into the core of the wreath-base soil.
Grasp the base of a strawberry plant with forceps and gently place it into the hole, tucking the stems inside.
Push the surrounding moss around the stems to secure the plants. Stagger and space plants 2 inches apart.
Strawberry plants send out long vine-like stems and leaves called runners. These can become a bit unruly and will wildly drape off your wreath. Pin down the long stems with U-shaped pins to tidy up the wreath and to keep it looking circular.
This wreath should lay flat for two to three weeks after planting to allow for roots to take hold before hanging.
Care
Strawberries thrive in full sun and love moist soil. Water your wreath by fully submerging in water once or twice a week for two to three minutes or with a long and gentle soak with water from a garden hose. If you are watering by hose, spray a stream of water over the wreath, wait a few minutes and then repeat the procedure to allow the wreath to become fully saturated. Drain well before rehanging.
When the wreath fruits, the berries will need protection from sharp-eyed birds and other garden critters. One day I had luscious red berries ripening and the next day, the wreath was picked clean. Sometimes the inevitable happens, but you can help prevent garden thieves by covering your fruiting wreath with netting, or just watch the berries and pick them quickly as they ripen.
