Strawberries in October

While most of Denman Island looks forward to the Apple Festival this weekend... I was in the garden today picking and savouring sweet, juicy strawberries. Yes, you read this right! We have had little to no rain this month and with warmer temperatures the berries continued to ripen. My Seascape Strawberries were still loaded with huge green berries and flowers that would never reach maturity. Rather than let the plants use more energy, it was time to cut them down in preparation for their winter straw mulch. With rain predicted for all of next week, the berries would begin to rot and mold anyways. 

Fresh Denman Island Strawberries for Thanksgiving!

In the past, I have tried to ripen the prolific fall crop of berries to no avail. It is always sad to pick and discard half a pail of unripe fruit. This is the first year that I have had a successful, ripe harvest this late in the season and it is nothing short of spectacular!

Photo ~ Fresh strawberries from my garden on Denman Island ~ by Sally Rae