Planting a Strawberry Pyramid

© By Deborah S. Tukua

www.hollycreekbooks.com

Whether you’re into edible landscaping, dressing up your lawn with unique, attractive planters or desiring lots of results in a small, confined space, a strawberry pyramid fills all three needs deliciously, beautifully and in the smallest of yards.

If there is a level, sunny spot on your property that receives eight hours of sunlight each day, you can grow an abundance of strawberries in a terraced garden, just six feet in diameter. Although we just constructed a 3-tier pyramid from a sheet of steel cut into three strips of graduated heights and lengths, then riveted each one together to form 3 separate circles, laying one inside the other, kits can be purchased from most gardening catalog companies for about $35. The kits generally include heavy aluminum bands that interlock together and a sprinkler system. All you’ll need in addition to the kit is the soil, to fill the inside of each ring, fertilizer and 50 strawberry plants.

Instead of the circular, metal-tiered garden you can also use landscape timbers to form a square pyramid. Each flat surface of the terrace should be from 6 to 8 inches in width to allow adequate room for the strawberry plants to grow. A sprinkler is positioned in the center of the top tier. To make the square pyramid more attractive, position it at an angle to give a diamond shaped appearance.

More important than the shape of the pyramid is that it is set up on level ground. Having the garden bed level will assure that each plant receives a uniform amount of water. As with all raised beds, the tendency to be more vulnerable in dry conditions and to freezing temperatures exists. Additional mulch or cover will be needed in winter and the sprinkler watering system in the unit is a must to protect the tiered beds from drying out in the summer.

For more practical helps in gardening with raised beds and containers as well as establishing interesting and unique theme gardens in your back forty feet or acres, you’ll want a copy of Deborah Tukua and Vicki West’s lovely hardbound book, Pearls of Garden Wisdom, available on sale today at the FATV shop!

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