Tuesday, May 29, 2007

where you least expect it...


This morning I picked my breakfast 17 floors above Central Park West: sweet, fresh, small (i.e., not bloated and shot full of who knows what) strawberries. Succulent and delicious. Because I'm a hungry gardener, I plant as many edibles as possible. But since my clients want pretty gardens, these edible plants have to look good, too. Strawberry foliage is medium green, with three-lobes and jagged edges. It grows in nice and full at the base of a tree, and the spreading stolons can be allowed to trail over the container's edge, or placed back in the box to thicken up the groundcover. But let's face it, no one grows strawberries for their leaves. It's all about the fruit. In a single container you won't get enough berries to make jam or jelly. But there's nothing like a few fresh berries on a warm May morning...especially if you're working hard, high above Central Park, gazing out at the skyline.