Sunday, May 1, 2011

Easy Garden Project: Planting Mara des Bois Strawberries into a Strawberry Pot



Below, are two nursery's descriptions of the Mara des Bois day neutral strawberry and each are sources for the plants.

1) A French nursery introduced ‘Mara des Bois’ back in 1991, and it has become wildly popular in markets in that country, where the berries bring a premium price. This distant relative of the woodland Strawberry produces aromatic fruits about the size of acorns with a rich, sweet flavor and tender flesh. In full sun, hybrid 'Mara' bears heavily throughout the season and throws vigorous runners that make it especially productive for home gardens and containers. (White Flower Farm)

2) In 1990, a French strawberry breeder named Jacques Marionnet set out to create a strawberry to rival the wildest of the woods. Four heirloom varieties, Gento, Ostara, Red Gauntlet and Korona were selected as parents based, not on their ease of growth or high yield potential, but rather for their individual strength of character. Each contributes a layer of flavor or texture to their unique offspring, the Mara des Bois. ... The Mara des Bois offers a rare balance of sweetness and acidity, the musk of wild strawberries and succulent, red-orange flesh that spreads across your palate like buttery ambrosia. (Wicked Wilds)

This six minute video by White Flower Farm demonstrates how to plant strawberries into a strawberry pot:



How did I pick this strawberry? I was lucky to consult with the fantastic gardener who lives nearby and provides us with eggs each week. She said that she got rid of every other strawberry variety that she had when she discovered Mara des Bois and she was able to supply me with just enough plants to fill my strawberry pot. At her house, they enjoy a few of these berries on their cereal for breakfast all summer long.
K. McDonald