Soft pink flowers cover the tops and sides for a pretty presentation

Over the past few years, we found that the Strawberry hanging basket has been rising in popularity. Strawberries handle the cold easily and they are becoming more popular as early season offerings. We’ve found a variety with several desirable qualities, ‘Berri Basket Pink’. It has pink flowers, short but trailing fruit, and a nice mounding habit. As a hanging basket, it delivers a sound product—see if you agree with us.

THE FLOWER

Its signature, of course, is the apple blossom pink found on the flowers. ‘Berri Basket Pink’ is an unusual color for Strawberries, and that color is further enhanced by the extra-large size of the flowers themselves. Blooms are also scattered nicely across the top of the plant, so it’s easy to see why this Strawberry would be in demand as an ornamental hanger.

Fruit hangs outside the plant habit and often over the sides

THE FRUIT

‘Berri Basket Pink’ was bred by a Dutch firm, ABZ Seed, that specializes in gourmet Strawberries. They give a high priority to taste, so the flavor is definitely in the fruit. Berry sizes are about average for garden Strawberries, but we are pleased to report they are sweet with that slight Strawberry tang we seek in fresh berries. They seem to taste best the day after the berries turn completely red.

Also, the hanging baskets produce a good number of berries over the season. As we mentioned above, the basket covers itself with flowers. When the bees stop by and visit, you can expect to get a nice crop of berries about 30 days later. They don’t develop all at once, because the plant is always producing flowers.

‘Berri Basket Pink’ is an unusual color for a Strawberry

THE BASKET

Delicious taste and pretty pink flowers are not the only reasons we selected this cultivar for our hanging basket. An interesting trait of ‘Berri Basket Pink’ is its habit to trail the berries over the side of the pot. A few of the berries end up under the foliage, but the vast majority of them dangle like jewelry over the sides. Actually, the trailers are short—just long enough for the fruit to hang, but not long enough for the fruit to drag. This arrangement is both beautiful and convenient at the same time on several different levels.

‘Berri Basket Pink’ is an ever-bearing Strawberry, so if you want to keep those berries coming for the long haul we recommend liquid fertilizer in the water about every week or two. Fertilizer recommendations are usually for soil-planted Strawberries. All varieties need more boost when they grow in hanging baskets using a soilless mixture, and this one is no different.

 
Trailing berries dangle like jewelry over the edges

IN CONTAINERS

We consider mid-sized pottery, boxes and planters to be the logical home for ‘Berri Basket Pink’. It mounds up nicely to occupy the filler role of any loose combo you think up, and it is especially well suited for window box culture. Think Strawberries for Deck Railings or Berries for the Porch or Patio Berry Garden. This berry can do those jobs in a neat and tidy way.

If we had just one word of advice, it would be: mulch. Soil splashes up and gets the berries dirty as the water comes down on them. Mulch keeps them clean and presentable.

 
These Strawberries come back year after year if planted in the ground

IN THE GARDEN

Our Strawberry hanging basket performs double-duty when planted directly in the garden. In the front garden it is a good citizen and plays well with others. Because runners are very short and very infrequent, the plant can be worked into any number of clever little pockets in the front yard.

In the back yard, the tasty fruit makes it a candidate for a dedicated patch, or mixed in with lettuce, sunflowers, beans, or even the marigolds. One tip for planting Strawberries—all Strawberries—is to plant the basket level with the soil. Don’t cover up the crown of the plant with dirt, and set them about 18 inches from the center.

These Strawberries are hardy in the Cincinnati area, so they return year after year if planted in the ground. They reach about 6–8 inches high, and they grow best in full sun. Again, mulch is important because Strawberries are not good at fighting weeds.

 
Fresh Strawberries on the porch—a sweet treat to start each day!

TO BEGIN THE DAY

We have a friend who considers Strawberries in a hanging basket to be one of the charms of spring. He hangs a basket on the front porch at the beginning of the season. Every day, as he goes out to work, he inspects it for berries. “It’s an early morning treat for me, a good way to start the day,” he says. We certainly agree.