Strawberries! Get Your Fresh Strawberries!

Joy Dawn Cottle 

I remember this beautiful woman as a young girl. Their family first came to Florence and placed their field on our Ratliff Family Land.  That was the beginning of an adult lifelong friendship for our family with the Cottle Family.  

Making Strawberry Jam with Ball FreshTech Jam & Jelly Maker Misfits Fruits and Denali Canning Lids

If you know me you already know I love strawberries. Today I'm talking about what you can do if you love jam the season is over in your area and you haven't made jam!  

I've found a number of ways to do things from home.  It is truly amazing what you can do from home these days. 

Today making jam when you've missed the strawberry picking time and for the first time in years have no strawberry jam! 

New Strawberry Patch 2021

Look at these little plants peeking through the net bags!  They can't wait to be planted!  I pre-ordered three varieties of plugs from Ison's:  Camarosa, Sweet Charlie, and of course Chandler. 

The Cottles first planted Sweet Charlie on some family land then later on the Chandler was the variety of choice. I do believe they grew some of the Camarosa as well. Working the fields for many years I've become known locally as 'The Strawberry Lady'.  That's fine with me because I do love strawberries!

Mama always said I should put my garden in this spot I'm now clearing.  It took a few years mama and many strawberry-loving critters later but I'm finally doing just that!  

We were so excited putting this in until lots of pictures were taken.  

Oh be sure to scroll down to the end to see what happened afterward!  We gasped, laughed, and thanked God we weren't out there when 'this thing' happened!

This and That June 2024

Hydrangeas

Always show stoppers

So many color variations on each plant 

A little bit of this and that 

Spotlight: Cottle Farms

Some people come into your life and change it for the better.  

The Cottle Family is just one such family that came into our lives and made them better. 

Great memories and fun times.

CREAM PUFFS FOR VALENTINE'S DAY!

Oh my gosh, I love cream puffs!  Do you?  This is a recipe I've had and used for years.  I hope you enjoy these as much as we do here!  While you're at it you might as well dip some strawberries and pretzels in chocolate!  Yummy! 

Nutsedge and the Strawberry Patch: Part One

This picture is of the second round of nutsedge that came along after plants were coming up and blooming, early June.

This little raised bed has grown some very good lettuces but I wanted a strawberry bed.  I have to tell you that our garden spot is now just full of, what we in the South call nut grass, but in reality it is not a grass at all.  Nutsedge is what it is called. To read more about this pain in my side click HERE for information from Clemson Cooperative Extension

I remember helping my Grandma pull the mess from some of her garden as a child.  I can still hear her voice saying, "Now, honey you have to get the entire root what we call a nut or it will come back."  She was so sweet. You do have to get the entire root system to at least get rid of it for a time.

This is how the bed looked after I pulled tons of nutsedge out of my raised bed at 
planting time. May 2013

If you look closely you can see the little strawberry plants poking their heads up through the straw.

Better picture for you to see them popping up


I purchased some plants from Stark Bros Nursery 
Surecrop
Earliglo
&
Tribute
Can't wait to see how well they do here.

The first row and a half is the EarliGlo Variety


 photo credit
The next row is
Surecrop
 
photo credit
 
The last row and a half is Tribute

 photo credit


 I can find no one that will tell you how to easily get rid of the nuisance. I only see ways in which to control it.
We do not have our vegetable garden this year and I miss it. My mama spent many an hour in the past weeding and pulling that mess out of the garden.  I thank her for her hot back breaking weeding. We decided that the nutsedge could have it this year and next year we will place our vegetable garden in another location.

You may recall that our land was plagued with sandspurs. If you don't know what that is then you are a very lucky person. Click HERE to read about that mess.
The garden spot still has some of that along with the nutsedge...whew!


sandspurs

 Chuck sprayed diligently and with time we have gotten rid of it in our lawn. We planted lots of grass seeds and that has helped to keep it out of our lawn.

I love to use pine straw as a mulch.  In the past I have used wood chip mulch but am prone to go back to pine straw.  We do have a great supplier of this and that is a good and convenient. Next post will have pictures of the blooms which I find to be so pretty.  Then the Strawberries themselves....Oh and guess what?  As I type this the bed is again full of nutsedge...I'm not gonna let it get the best of me ... no I won't...

This is in the flower bed located behind the strawberries. The Stella De Ora Daylilies are great they bloom so long and are so pretty. I have Iris, and other varieties of daylilies along with the lavender blue flower that the butterfiles, and bees just love. Oh I have some butterfly pictures this will be a post too.

Strawberries to be continued.....

Have a great weekend!

Dolly   

Natural Produce Cleaning wash

I think we can all agree that unless something is grown completely organic our produce needs to be cleaned.  Join me today as we talk about natural mixtures you can use yourself to help remove some if not all pesticides.  

Early Spring Strawberry Patch And The Dog That Loves It!

Oskar

Ahh, finally a strawberry patch that has survived a year in this location!  But wait this one loves to pick and eat the crop daily!  What in the world?  I guess he figured he helped Catie and me plant them they are part his too.  His part must be the entire crop!  Who knows?

Today posting early April strawberries!

Strawberries

Strawberries, you know I love them!  I really do.  This is the fourth patch I've started out here in the wide-open wild animal place we live. I've had a few problems keeping a strawberry patch intact out here. There are just so many creatures that love the plants and the fruit. It happens that they know the best of times to eat them like myself and after years of waiting for the best they get it!  I won't let them whip me "No sir!".

I ordered more bare roots and will put in yet another patch in another spot.  I remembered the little raised gardens I had and pulled them out of the garden cabin.  Thankfully Catie was here to help me fill it with the soil we needed. Let me tell you that was a job.

Johnny, my son from another mother, gave me bags of rabbit droppings and they have proven to be a great addition to this strawberry patch. I mixed some into the soil before planting.

Today talking about what?  My favorite fruit the strawberry and our new patch!

Hibiscus House Recipe: Strawberry ~ Banana Jam

Strawberries, who doesn't love them?  I know they are my favorite fruit and my next favorite is a good ripe banana.  Of course you do have to time that just right ripeness in the berries and bananas, then eat or preserve for best taste at that perfect time!  Today I'm sharing one of my own recipes and it is delicious!  They do call me the 'Strawberry Lady'.  

Strawberries and Mending Water Hoses

I've been busy mending the water hoses today and trying to find out why the left side of my strawberry patch is so much smaller than the right. Join me won't you.

Gift of Art

Both my girls always give me way too many gifts for Christmas. They both seem to know instinctively just what to buy!

Catie gave me two beautiful prints that she knew I'd like.  She is friends with Gaye.  She and I went to school together.  

Gaye is a beautiful lady inside and out.  She just beams and can light up the room with her smile.  She is also a very talented artist. 

Today I'm sharing one of the prints called Strawberries 'n Cream  If you know me at all you know I love strawberries. I am called the Strawberry Lady after all! 

Let's take a close-up look at this print...

Strawberry Patch Update!

Sweet Charlie on the left soaking up water before planting.  Top pink bloom is Toscana and bottom is Earliglo one of the plants that survived the destruction and was planted 3 years ago.  Updating today as to the growth.

This Animal Has Eaten My Strawberry Patch!

May What's Going On?

I trust that all of the mothers out there had a wonderful day!  I did and was surprised by my children in such cute and fun ways!  I tear up when I think about how much they mean to me.  I'd be lost without them.  Come on inside to see What's Going On....

Saying Goodbye To and Celebrating The Life Of Oskar

Catie brought this little darling home one day in 2011

 And we've enjoyed him every minute for 14 years.

Today we share our loss of this very much loved part of the family

FRATELLI CARLI WILD BERRIES CREAMA DI FRUTTA PLUS BONUS RECIPE

website USA here 

Wild Berries Crema di Frutta releases its rich mixture of aromas in an instant: red currants, blackberries, blueberries, raspberries and wild strawberries. Alternating sensations of sweetness and sharpness in one mixture for the joy of your palate. credit and more information here

Petunias, Verbena, and Lemon Bee Balm

I really like the pink, purple, lavender, and white combinations.  Petunias and verbena are all-time favorites with us.  The newest in this mixture is the Lemon Bee Balm.  It is delicate and pretty.  The pollinators love it for sure.  It is always covered with bees and butterflies.  I've yet to make tea from it but I've heard it's good. Today sharing pictures of these little beauties in the cute white planters.

Summer Fun

These summer days fly away so quickly!  It has been a hot one for sure!  I love it when I get to see these guys!  You know I love to enjoy every minute!  

Today's simple 'Mimi's Brag Book' post in pictures.