They will spread and colonise an area of ground through runners, but they will also self-seed on nearby ground. The berries normally first ripen in July and will continue to produce berries until September or October, depending on the weather conditions. They tend to prefer stony, lime rich where they will receive plenty of sun, but also some shade for part of the day. Wild strawberries will grow on grasslands, open areas and on the edge of forests. No doubt the owners hope that it is not too secret, but a place where ice cream lovers will be happy! Where and when? Supposedly these are secret happy places not known to most tourists! At the other extreme there is a rather good ice cream parlour in Söderköping called Smultronstället. For instance, Smultronställen på Öland (Secret happy places on Öland) lists places like Gräsgårds hamn (a harbour), Mormors stenugnsbageri (a bakery) and Ölands örtagård (a herb garden). Such is the importance of smultronstället in Swedish culture that some Swedish travel writers now provide guides to smultronställen (secret happy places). Often it is somewhere near their summer cottage (most Swedes have a share in a summer cottage), but there may not be any smultron there: it is simply a secret place to relax and be happy. Nowadays many Swedes have their own private smultronställe. If literally translated, Smultronstället means The Wild Strawberry Plot, but it has now become to mean 'The Secret Happy Place'. Indeed, one of the greatest devotees of the film is Woody Allen, so if you have not seen it do try and find a copy to appreciate why he regarded it as such an important film. The film is much deeper than indicated by my brief synopsis above, but for anyone interested in Swedish culture it is essential viewing. He reflects on the fact that gathering smultron with Sara was perhaps the happiest time in his whole life. She is a double for the love of Isak's youth with whom he remembered gathering smultron. Borg sets out on a long car ride from Stockholm to Lund in order to be awarded an honorary degree. During the journey (of self-discovery) he meets a series of hitchhikers, one of whom is a woman named Sara. The main character in the film is called Professor Isak Borg, a widowed and rather grumpy 78-year-old physician. The reason that so many Swedes regard smultron with such affection is because of Smultronstället, a film written and directed by Ingmar Bergman and released in 1957. Even Vår Kokbok, Sweden's most popular cookery book, doesn't have a single smultron recipe! Smultronstället The mere mention of smultron (wild strawberries) to most Swedes is likely to produce a smile, even though they are unlikely to be their favourite berry! In truth most Swedes prefer cultivated strawberries and regard smultron as something of a novelty.
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