Strawberries Installed

Lots of perennials--such as strawberries, blueberries, asparagus, and many kinds of flowers--do very well in our area.  I recommend planting them in a bed apart from vegetables so that they do not compete for space and nutrients.  Tonight we planted 75 strawberry plants in a raised bed adjacent to a watermelon patch.  I am in favor of raising new beds for the first 1-3 years to allow the soil beneath to improve.  Strawberries, in particular, like well-drained soil, so having raised beds is doubly good for them.  The strawberries will come up year after year.  We specifically ordered three different varieties of strawberry plants that blossom at different times of year so we'll be in fruit from spring to late summer.  Neighbors also put deer fence around the area, and covered them with straw to retain moisture and cut down on weeds.  Neighbor, help me out here!  What kinds of strawberries are they?!?  Edit: the strawberries are Earliglow (Early Season), Allstar (Mid Season), and Sparkle (Late Mid Season).  Also, neighbor says that covering strawberry plants with straw is NOT recommended.

Left: 6 ft. x 12 ft. strawberry patch; right: vegetable seedlings

 doing well indoors under grow lights.