As an adorable way to end National Strawberry Month, I headed off to the strawberry patch one last time before the farm closed for strawberry season. This time, I went alone with the idea of leisurely picking big, juicy, and ripe strawberries for my mom and I. However, that was not necessarily the reality.
Keep reading for how my morning of strawberry picking went along with some practical tips for your next visit to the strawberry patch.
Strawberry Patch Essentials | Hiking Shoes & Sunscreen
First things first: let’s talk about attire and what to wear. If nothing else, I recommend wearing waterproof hiking shoes. I have been wearing hiking shoes for all my outdoor adventures over the past few months and it has been a godsend.
As I explained in my previous post on visiting the strawberry patch, areas of the farm were quite muddy and very uneven. However, wearing hiking shoes helps you stay grounded and balanced as you walk, kneel, and bend to pick your bucket of strawberries.
Outside of comfortable hiking shoes, I also recommend wearing sunscreen. Each time I have been to the strawberry patch to pick strawberries, it is always beautiful and sunny out; which is of course appreciated, but wear sunscreen. Enjoy the warm and vibrant rays, but protect your beautiful skin.
Now that a few essentials are out of the way, let’s talk about some “nice to have” items beginning with sunglasses or a hat. Again, the sun may be out in full force and you want to protect yourself, but you can also make it a style statement that will make any photos that you take adorable.
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And, if photos are important to you for documenting purposes, by all means, wear strawberry-themed clothing. Each time that I have visited the strawberry patch, I make sure that we are in strawberry-themed clothing. I tell you, it makes for the most adorable photos and it’s a sure conversation starter.
On my solo trip this time, I wore a Strawberry Shortcake t-shirt that said, Berry Cute. Not only did I receive a ton of compliments, but it made for adorable photos that I can use here on the blog and in my summer scrapbook that I’m currently working on.
For my bottoms, I wore black yoga pants. They are comfortable and are easy to wear when doing outdoor activities. But, of course, feel free to wear whatever feels good on your skin for you.
An End of a Crop
Lastly, I normally wouldn’t recommend this final item as an essential until this visit, but gloves. In past visits, I had no problems picking strawberries with my bare hands, however, this time was different.
There were only a few rows left of strawberries to pick and my row (one of the last) had quite a bit of thorny-like common weeds. This made picking strawberries that were buried under the weeds difficult to pick.
As I mentioned earlier in this post arriving at the patch was a bittersweet moment knowing it was the end of the season. The field wasn’t as abundant as it had been earlier in the month. Most of the strawberries that were left were miniature compared to the strawberries that were picked during previous visits.
Birthday Surprise
Although I was a wee bit disappointed, I was still grateful because I was able to fill a half bucket of strawberries and then surprise my mom at her job with a basket of freshly picked strawberries for her birthday.
It was a sweet and tender moment because she did not know I was coming to her job, especially since I live 30 miles away. It was also sweet knowing that she had wanted fresh strawberries, and I was able to deliver.
Final Thoughts
With this experience in mind, if you’re looking for a charming and memorable way to celebrate a loved one’s birthday during National Strawberry Month, I would recommend a morning of strawberry picking. Whether you choose to pick them yourself and surprise your person, or go together like we have done in the past.
Regardless of what you choose, remember to dress appropriately, stay hydrated, and enjoy the simple pleasure of connecting with nature. Whether it’s the end of the season or the height of it, strawberry picking can be a delightful experience. Plus, the fruits of your labor (pun intended!) make for the sweetest birthday surprise!
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