By the way, we are renters, so please do not judge for the state of our dilapidated shed!

It is a small area, what about adding a box made with 2x8's to elevate them? I don't know how much gutter costs, but the gutter that is there is dumping into your spot.... I have no shed, so can't fault yours.

an additional thought. Based on my experience a raspberry bush would be more rewarding.

This post was edited by cckw on Sat, Feb 15, 14 at 12:41

Hello: Maybe you could make a frame that can lean up against the wall to divert the water away during the winter. Use 2x2's and clear plastic or something. Fresh Strawberries sure are tasty....Good Luck!

...or just add more used bricks to the area. The strawberries would do better in soil raised a few inches. Commercial fields in the Portland area use hilled-up rows. These fields in winter are puddled between rows and the plants remain unflooded.

Using a raised area also makes it easier to deter slugs by providing a distinct area for bait and other deterrants.

It's all a moot point anyway unless that gutter is fixed; that much roof runoff will overwater anything planted there. The momentum of heavier runoffs could wet the soil over a foot away from the wall and will drill holes in the soil due to the several feet of drop.

That little patch of ground looks handy, but has its problems.

Check out some recent forum posts on alternative strawberry planting methods.

A 10 ft piece of gutter should cost you about $8, and a couple of brackets maybe another $8.

I would't think about planting anything there without dealing with the gutter.