Strawberry season is here

I sat in my backyard this afternoon watching the chickadees flit back and forth to the feeder.  A dove stood in the birdbath, periodically dousing its wings.

The grape hyacinths are a crush of purple.  I have to finish turning the soil for a small bed devoted to Italian string beans and lay a small path of rocks to line the space where the wildfowers will be sown.

 I saw a waxy white bloom on my strawberry plants. Berries will soon be ripe and red, ready to be enjoyed. My plants are more for show than anything else. I might get a cup or two if I'm lucky and the squirrels aren't greedy. Juicy strawberries  are my favorite spring dessert.  And the cool weather means a longer strawberry season.

Most of the berries I'll use for desserts and snacking will come from local farmers.  In North Carolina,  the strawberry crop is expected to total nearly 20 million pounds, with a value of a little over $1 per pound.

That's a whole lot of berries! I'm ready.