Strawberry Growing Season - Mom's Lifesaver Style

Taken from my sister's garden - summer strawberries!

My sister is the weekend gardener - making every minute count and taking every opportunity to include her little ones in it - and strawberries are no exception!

Here is one of my favorite parts of her garden - painted rocks! Yes, that's right - painted rocks - a great activity for the kids to get involved.

Why rocks?

My sister explains that the rock berries 'train' the birds to think that all the fruit that the plants will produce are 'hard as rocks' and will protect her 'crop'.

She adds details to the kids painted rocks with a permanent marker (TIP - you can use nail polish too) and a clear coat and places them amongst her plants.  

TIP - use a clear coat that has UV protection so the paint won't crack, peel or discolor - and you can reuse them next year

One more share from her garden - worried about rabbits or small ground animals getting to your berries?

How about growing them on the side of your garden shed?

She used an extra piece of rain gutter we had (I was going to throw it out - she saw a planting opportunity and grabbed it!) and capped off the ends and hung it on her shed! The plants look great in it.

Let us know how you include the family in your garden adventures - we would love to hear from you!