[EzLou]

Anything particularly good to plant with strawberries.

We bought some plants from the patch at our previous house - we had 2 seasons of Very nice fruit off them - OH picked the baby shoots off before we left and we've creatyed a strawberry patch in my cottage garden border thingummy.

I thought if edging it on 3 sides with herbs - or maybe the asparagus.

Just wondered if anything was particularly recommended?

[WG.]

Allium family

[EzLou]

oh really? do they keep pests off?

Any sort? Do chives count...?

[WG.]

Chives are excellent since they are permanent features - most people only need a clump or two though.  Garlic is great but gets lifted in July.

[gobs]

Welsh onions can be there as long as the strawb produce, but make sure you leave space for netting from birds.

[EzLou]

Thats another question.
Any recommendations for netting/covering that stupid birds wont get their feet stuck in!?

Last year we rescued possibly the same bird about 3 times. We named him Pike - stupid boy. Ended up taking the netting off -  I don't want anything getting et by the cat on my account...

[Trillium]

Fleece would keep bird feet from sticking but not let in quite enough light for berries to properly ripen. Metal mesh would be the solution but a pricey one for the sake of one dumb bird.

[crowndale]

I have one cage that has metal mesh sides and roof for the first bed.  The second bed I made for this year though I will probably do a cloche arrangement but with netting, cheaper and easier and certainly much simpler to put together! (Though I did have fun making the cage but have so many other things to do now for the plot!)

[gobs]

I had to metal cover the strawberry bed, otherwise the rats eat them all. Prefer fresh, they do.

[noshed]

They say borage - but it grows quite big. The bees love it though.