1. Select the appropriate pot or basket: a medium strawberry pot or a 12-inch-diameter standard planter.

2. Fill with ready-mixed soil (ask your local garden center which is most appropriate for strawberries) or make your own blend of potting soil, sand, and peat moss.

3. Place five or six plants in the container early in the season and water each day. Keep in full sun.

4. In less than a month, little white blossoms will emerge. Watch for honeybees sipping nectar from the flowers. Strawberries will grow from the blooms, appearing first as small white fruits that redden over the course of several days. When they are red, plump, and juicy looking, pick the berries so they don't rot on the plant. Pick by pinching the stem above the fruit and cradling the berry with a hand so it isn't bruised when it drops.