My name is Mike Wellik. I have been collecting and growing strawberry cultivars and varieties of a half dozen species since the early 1990’s. I came to specialize in Fragaria vesca cultivars but have even collected heirloom hybrids.
I started out growing strawberries in a greenhouse long before anyone thought that they could be grown. I ran into a snag when I finally figured out how to grow them in vertical tubes hydroponically. Local markets were not interested in paying a premium for the berries in the winter. It was not even close to being economical to grow them when heat was required.
I sold some alpine strawberry plants by advertising in horticultural magazines. The whole time keeping an eye out for something new and tasty.
I grew fruit of alpine strawberries in a field for two years and sold them to a 5 star French restaurant in Philadelphia. Along the way I continued to sell plants to a wider audience when the internet came along. Since I was buying and saving seeds I ventured into seed sales.
I’ve been in the process of retiring for a couple of years and now in 2023 I sell seeds only. It has been quite a journey!