I have surrendered to the brown thrashers that are devouring all my blueberries. I've watched them fly to the top of the shrubs, and then hop daintily through the fishing line to pick every juicy berry as it ripens. They are thorough and ruthless.
On a happier note, my mini strawberry garden is a delightful success.
We cannot grow strawberries in the ground in my backyard because our soil contains a bacteria, verticulum wilt, which makes it basically impossible to grow them. The bacteria causes the leaves to turn brown and fall off the plant. Without leaves, the plant cannot generate the energy necessary to make berries. The solution for the determined gardener is to pinch off all infected leaves as soon as they start developing symptoms and raking all fallen leaves from the ground to prevent the bacteria from returning to the soil. I'm just not willing to work that hard.
However, I decided to plant strawberries in containers on my deck. I've done this before with some success, but this year, I decided to use strawberry plants in the ornamental containers instead of traditional annuals. What could be prettier than white blossoms and red berries? Each day I pick enough berries to flavor some breakfast cereal or top a garden salad. They are not as large as the grocery store berries but they pack a powerful flavor punch.
A couple of neighborhood cats that enjoy napping on my deck keep the squirrels and birds from helping themselves to my delightful strawberries. If only I could convince the cats to nap under the blueberry bushes.
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