Unless something out of the ordinary happens, Marc, they will survive outdoors. They're completely hardy and are normally left out all year.
To get an earlier crop (nice to have them before Wimbledon as well) you can put a cloche of some kind over a few plants or (as discussed earlier) bring some into a greenhouse/polytunnel if you have one, or even a cold frame, which is easy to make. I'd let the frost get at them first though, to kill the aphids hiding in all the crevices.
Weed membrane mats should be fine to keep the fruit off the soil, as long as the soil doesn't get on top. Worth checking underneath for slugs. They (the plants, that is, not the slugs) will benefit immensely from compost applied in the spring (or any time really). Don't let them produce too many runners - one or two per plant is enough - otherwise the plant will put all its resources into them and have nothing left for the following year's fruiting. And protect not only against birds, but also North American tree rats (known as grey squirrels by some) which will take them before they're ripe!
You could try tethering a cat to a long wire amongst the strawberries like the Victorian gardeners used to do. Otherwise there's little guarantee that it'll be in the right place a the right time.
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Unless something out of the ordinary happens, Marc, they will survive outdoors. They're completely hardy and are normally left out all year.
To get an earlier crop (nice to have them before Wimbledon as well) you can put a cloche of some kind over a few plants or (as discussed earlier) bring some into a greenhouse/polytunnel if you have one, or even a cold frame, which is easy to make. I'd let the frost get at them first though, to kill the aphids hiding in all the crevices.
Weed membrane mats should be fine to keep the fruit off the soil, as long as the soil doesn't get on top. Worth checking underneath for slugs. They (the plants, that is, not the slugs) will benefit immensely from compost applied in the spring (or any time really). Don't let them produce too many runners - one or two per plant is enough - otherwise the plant will put all its resources into them and have nothing left for the following year's fruiting. And protect not only against birds, but also North American tree rats (known as grey squirrels by some) which will take them before they're ripe!
You could try tethering a cat to a long wire amongst the strawberries like the Victorian gardeners used to do. Otherwise there's little guarantee that it'll be in the right place a the right time.