Lookie!

Last year (year before?) I planted strawberries. I didn't expect much the first year, but this spring I was REALLY looking forward to fresh berries, right off the plant. There is not much finer than a sun warm strawberry. It would appear, however, that fresh strawberries are also a big favourite of the birds. I've startled robins, blue jays, starlings and cardinals, all feasting on MY berries! Enough!

I tried a floating row cover, they mashed the berries through the mesh, then pulled it off to get the ones they missed. Plan B, I figured I could jig up something out of PVC and the roll of bird screen I had in the garage. This beauty isn't my creation, but it is mine. I mentioned to Scott yesterday that if I was going along to look at zero-turn lawn mowers (ugh) then we were going to Home Depot to get some PVC pipe. "Why?" he asked, curious. I explained my frustration with the birds and my dream of a cover that would keep those damn creatures off MY berries. "Oh, we can do that." Of course we can. $30 worth of pipe and connectors, an hour or so of measuring and cutting, and the frame is more than I ever could have imagined. Mine would have been enough, THIS, however, is ideal. It's light enough to move, heavy enough to stand up to the biggest hungry robin. It's expandable for longer rows, contractible for shorter ones, and collapsible for winter storage. I have it covered with the bird net now, but could use a poly cover to extend the growing season in my cold frame until close to Thanksgiving. Yeah!

Thanks, honey.