Stephanie's Strawberry Patch

Last year, right after I planted my garden, miss Elfie was outside unattended. The next thing I knew she had dug up quite a bit of what I had just planted. Then there were a couple other places around the house that she wouldn't stop digging up. I tried a couple different methods--one of them was yelling at her with rage, I hate to admit--but it wasn't working. After a thorough internet search, my last effort was to build a designated spot for her to dig in. My brother affectionately calls it Elfie's Sandbox. The neighbors were totally baffled. Apparently no one else has googled what to do when your dog is digging up your garden. Anyway, I got the same wood that I used for my garden beds, assembled a box and filled the bottom with sand. Elfie laid in it twice. That's it. Not one little paw full of sand ever got dug. BUT what matters is that she hasn't dug anywhere else either! Bottom line is that now Elfie's sand box is my strawberry patch!! Listen to the squeals of delight!

I tried to use Mel's mix, but I couldn't get vermiculite. I know they have it at Bennett's, but that is the only place I have ever seen it. They didn't have it at Altum's or Jones'. Also, I wanted to use the peat alternative that I used last year from Menards, but no one here seemed to have that either. Small bales of peat at Altum's were $20, $6 at Lowe's.

I am not sure what variety I got. I bought bare root plants from Bennett's in the cooler. I remember that they are ever-bearing. Perhaps I will remember to call and ask what they are.