Fragaria vesca - Ferme de Sainte Marthe Seeds

The Four Seasons Strawberry is a variety of Wild Strawberry that has retained its flavour but produces larger fruits, ranging from 3 to 5cm (1 to 2in). It is a perpetual variety, with strawberries that can be harvested throughout the summer, until the first frost. Sowing is done from February to May for a first harvest one year later.

The Four Seasons Strawberry is ideal for making pies, as it combines subtle flavours and abundant round fruits. Sow from February to May and harvest throughout the summer, until the first frost. This variety has many qualities and, if sown early enough, can bear fruit in the first year.

The strawberry is a perennial plant belonging to the Rosaceae family. Known in Europe for a long time, it naturally grows in all the undergrowth of temperate regions. However, most of the juicy strawberries cultivated 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 Wild Strawberry, known for its small particularly fragrant 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. Most large-fruited cultivated strawberries come from Fragaria x Ananassa species, resulting from a cross 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, finely toothed, and form dark green rosettes. Its flowering is characterized by a multitude of small white, yellow, or pink flowers with a golden centre. Then, depending on the varieties, they produce mostly red fruits, but recent cultivars offer pink, yellow, or white strawberries. Botanically speaking, strawberries are considered pseudocarps, with the achenes (seeds) appearing on the surface under the skin.

The flavour of the strawberry is very delicate and characterized by a sweet and fruity aroma, with sometimes a slight acidic note in the background. Non-remontant varieties flower only once a year in spring, while remontant varieties flower twice a year or continuously from spring to autumn. Strawberries are rich in vitamins B8 and B9, very rich in vitamins C and E, and contain provitamin A. They have remineralizing, hypotensive, and purifying properties. It should be noted that they can cause itching for some people as they stimulate the release of histamine in the body.

Harvesting: pick the fruits as they ripen on the plants. Strawberries are delicate, so pick them with their stalk 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 slightly soft to the touch.

Storage: strawberries are best consumed fresh, either plain, with cream, or as a pie filling. They can be stored for about a week in the vegetable drawer of your refrigerator. When they have been bumped or scratched, they will not keep as long. If you have a large harvest, keep in mind that strawberries are fragile fruits. For longer storage, consider using sugar, the best friend of fruits. You can naturally make jams, marmalades, compotes, or syrups. It is also possible to make ice cream or sorbets, 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. There are now small trays available for freezing small fruits such as strawberries, raspberries, or currants, etc.

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.

Untreated or "NT" seeds come from conventionally cultivated plants (often using phytosanitary products), but they do not undergo any treatment after harvest. These seeds are allowed in organic market gardening when organic seeds are out of stock.