Strawberries & Perennial Abundance
When I was younger, I remember my grandfather explaining the difference between annuals, biennials, and perennials. Looking back, I didn’t value this lesson as much as I do now, because plants that keep on giving—season after season, year after year—are truly remarkable!
Strawberries, as humble as they may seem, embody this perennial abundance. They seem to ask so little of me, yet they offer so much! These plants gift me fruit for my table, beauty in the garden, future smoothie fuel in the freezer, and a real connection to the rhythm of the living world.
In New York our gardens welcome strawberries with open arms. Our native Fragaria virginiana is an excellent ground cover in our landscapes, and everbearing varieties like Seascape (Fragaria x ananassa ‘Seascape’) and Albion (Fragaria x ananassa 'Albion') are especially well-suited for longer harvests throughout the growing season, and they produce fruit in both late spring/early summer and again in the fall. For those who prefer a single, more abundant flush, June-bearing types such as Honeoye or Cavendish perform reliably and can be staples in northeastern gardens.
Once established strawberries become true companions in the garden. They spread naturally and easily by sending out runners, which are long and slender stems that reach out for contact with soil to send down roots. This self-propagation makes it easy for us gardeners to “catch runners” in smaller pots! We can use these plants to expand our own strawberry plot, or to share with friends, neighbors, and our larger communities. A modest strawberry patch can double or triple in size in just a couple of seasons, so there are plenty to go around.
Strawberries are a perfect entry point for those looking to add more perennials to their garden—plants that don’t need to be sown anew each year, but rather grow with you. Perennials invite a slower, deeper relationship with place. You plant, and they return, and you learn their cycles. You come to welcome them not just as crops, but as friends!
Whether tucked into raised beds, grown along the edges of pathways, or naturalized into sunny corners, strawberries are adaptable and deeply rewarding, asking only for some periodic tending, and some light winter protection. They’re a gentle way to shift your garden toward more lasting abundance.
In a time when so much feels transient or temporary, perennial plants like strawberries remind us that there are still ways to grow with the land, quietly, generously, and in rhythm with the more-than-human world.