Fragaria x ananassa 'Florian'

The 'Florian' Strawberry is a garden strawberry particularly suitable for beginner gardeners as it is very easy to grow even without special care. From the second year, it produces an abundance of dark pink flowers that pleasantly adorn the paths of the vegetable garden or the balconies' planters and will become beautiful sweet, juicy fruits with a very fruity aroma.

Sow from January to the end of April to harvest from June until the first frosts.

The strawberry is a perennial belonging to the Rosaceae family. Known throughout Europe since ancient times, it naturally grows in all the undergrowth of temperate regions. However, most of the fleshy strawberries grown in our gardens are hybrids derived from a species native to Chile and brought back by the navigator Amédé François Frézier. There are indeed several species of strawberries, the main ones being: Fragaria vesca or Woodland Strawberry, renowned for its particularly fragrant small fruits, Fragaria moschata or Musk Strawberry, Fragaria viridis or Green Strawberry - also known as Valley Strawberry - less interesting due to the acidity of its fruits, and finally Fragaria chiloensis or Chilean Strawberry. These are wild strawberries. The large-fruited cultivated strawberries are almost all derived from the species Fragaria x ananassa, resulting from the crossbreeding between Fragaria chiloensis and Fragaria virginiana, another American species.

The strawberry has a spreading habit that can reach 40cm (16in) in width and height. The evergreen leaves are trifoliate, obovate, well dentate, and form dark green rosettes. Its flowering is characterized by a multitude of small white, yellow, or pink flowers with a golden center. Then, depending on the varieties, they produce fruits that are mostly red, but recent cultivars offer pink, yellow, or white strawberries. From a botanical point of view, the strawberries are called pseudocarps, with the achenes (seeds) protruding under the skin.

The taste of the strawberry is very delicate and is characterized by a sweet and fruity aroma with sometimes a slight acidic note in the background. We can distinguish non-remontant varieties, which flower only once a year in spring, from remontant varieties, which flower twice a year or continuously from spring to autumn. The strawberry is a (pseudocarp) fruit rich in vitamins B8 and B9, very rich in vitamins C and E, and in provitamin A. It is thus notably remineralizing, hypotensive, and depurative. It should be noted that it can cause urticaria in some people as it stimulates the release of histamine in the body.

Harvesting: pick the fruits from the plants as they ripen. Strawberries are fragile, so pick them with their peduncle by pinching the stem 1 to 2cm (0 to 1in) above it. The texture of the fruit is a good indicator of its ripeness. It should be firm and yield slightly to pressure.

Storage: strawberries are best consumed fresh, simply with cream or as a topping for tarts. They can be stored for about a week in the vegetable compartment of your refrigerator. When they have been subjected to shock or scratches, they will not keep as long. If you have a large production, keep in mind that strawberries are fragile fruits. For longer storage, consider using sugar, the fruits' best friend. Naturally, you can make jams, marmalades, compotes, or syrup preparations. It is also possible to make ice cream or sorbet, but they will not keep as long. You can also dry them in the oven after slicing them into thin slices of at least 1mm, which can be added to your muesli. Finally, strawberries freeze very well. Small containers for freezing small fruits like strawberries, raspberries, or currants, etc., are now available.

The gardener's tip: strawberry plants are good companions for garlic, beans, lettuce, onions, leeks, thyme, and spinach. However, they do not appreciate the company of cabbage and other brassicas.

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