We love fresh strawberries, so we plant a range of varieties to extend the harvest season. Galletta is a bit of a gamble in that regard --- the plants might give us an extra week of strawberries very early in the season...or they might bloom so prematurely that we're unable to prevent freeze damage.

Planting location for an ultra-early variety like this depends on how much we're willing to risk. Should we plant in the sunniest part of the garden, ensuring blooms a week before strawberry flowers open up in the shade of our hillside (and resulting in similarly early strawberries)? Or should we plant in the colder part of the garden to retard flowers that will get nipped by late frosts?

I decided to live large and set out our Galletta strawberries in the sunny mule garden. But I hedged my bets by placing them all together in one raised bed that will be easy to cover with quick hoops or other frost-protection. Here's hoping I won't regret taking the high-risk approach to early strawberries!