The Victory Garden Thread - March, 2026

March 1, 2026 | Diana in WI/Greeneyes in Memoriam

[Diana in Wisconsin]

The MONTHLY Gardening Thread is a gathering of folks that love soil, seeds and plants of all kinds. From complete newbies that are looking to start that first potted plant, to gardeners with some acreage, to Master Gardener level and beyond, we would love to hear from you.

If you have specific question about a plant/problem you are having, please remember to state the Growing Zone where you are located.

This thread is a non-political respite. No matter what, you won’t be flamed, and the only dumb question is the one that isn’t asked.

It is impossible to hijack the Gardening Thread. Planting, Harvest to Table Recipes, Preserving, Good Living - there is no telling where it will go - and that is part of the fun and interest. Jump in and join us! Send a Private Message to Diana in Wisconsin if you'd like to be added to/removed from our New & Improved Ping List.

NOTE: This is a once a MONTH Ping List, but we DO post to the thread all throughout the month. Links to related articles and discussions which might be of interest to Gardeners are welcomed any time.

[Pollard]

Made it 1-1/2 hours at work and came home. Taking tomorrow too and then I have my regular 3 days off. Finished a job I was working on at least. They’re just gonna have to front me some PTO, which they do. The PTO on this next check will cover all but 0.88 hrs. Two weeks after that I’ll be +2.50 hrs.

Everything was bright and loud. Thought my head was going to explode when the morning buzzer went off. Weekend crew is pretty thin. Hopefully I didn’t spread it to anyone. Will be four times as many people tomorrow when weekend overlaps weekday shift.

Only thing I need to do today is get a fire going in the wood stove for the 18 and 14 lows next two mornings.

[mairdie]

We live right in the middle of a tiny NE town with a town square, concert gazebo, churches, the whole bit. We’re behind the high school and, while we were younger and active in landscaping, had a wonderful time making stone paths and patios and terraces. But age gets to you, as well as retirement costs, and our gardener’s aches and pains sent him into a new profession, easier on the joints. So we let the jungle take back the landscaping and still enjoy views that now owe more to nature than to planning.

Like waiting for those first spring bulbs, we wait for that blooming of forsythia to announce the change of season. There’s something so soul satisfying about a calendar whose progress you wait for every year from snow fall to leaf fall.

[Diana in Wisconsin]

So pretty! I have one Forsythia; it is on the north side of the house. You can only really see it from the bathroom window, LOL!

It was here before I got here, or I would’ve given it more Pride of Place. I do force branches in the house, so that always signals Spring to me, too.

[Diana in Wisconsin]

And Tubebender!

[Diana in Wisconsin]

Aww! Sweet. I love Robert Frost. I know a lot of his poems, as my ‘City Grandma’ was a huge fan.

I’m certain my ‘Country Grandma’ would’ve liked his poems too, but she was too busy baking bread and plucking chickens to feed us all, LOL!

‘City Grandma’ had ‘Help.’ ;)

[Paul R.]

Ah, that Delta Dust has deltamethrin in it. I should look - I used to have some flea powder for our cats: It has deltamethrin in it.

Thanks!

[Paul R.]

Yikes! I hope you can get that fixed without much trouble.

Our heaviest “fun” is supposed to arrive around 5-6 pm, peaking ay around 7 pm. Bad timing - that should mean maximum energy for the storms. It should blow through fairly quickly, though. The odds of winds over 60 mph within 25 miles of us are forecast around 60%. Tornado risk is in the “yellow”.

I’m guessing it’s 50/50 we’ll be headed for the basement, as a warning anywhere in our county and often the county that begins just a few miles west of us will set off the sirens near us...

[Paul R.]

Interesting. But, I’d think the majority would not find feeders. Hmmm...

Well, good luck to the little buggers!

[Diana in Wisconsin]

A cozy fire, soup and rest. Take care of yourself - we need you! :)

[Paul R.]

Yes, those are all just names for carpenter bees.

What was the bait?

[Paul R.]

I’ll try going through some of them. The first 2 I looked at did not mention enclosures or not, as you noted. :-(

[Paul R.]

Oh, further on I saw you post about the cap. Hopefully there’s no roof damage!

[FamiliarFace]

An unfinished wood block with holes on each side, angled up, with a center wider hole that opens to a mason jar. The unfinished wood is the bait. Don’t paint or stain it. They can get in but can’t get out. They just die in there in a few hours.

This shows how to make the traps.
https://www.wikihow.com/Build-a-Carpenter-Bee-Trap

We have several hung, usually near where we see them. The first year we caught about 50, and the next year half that, and then the next year half that. Now we only get a couple in each year.

I bought our first one, and our neighbor made some more from that design. So we have 4 or 5 traps all around the house. They’ve helped A LOT.

[Liz]

Carrot Noodles in Thai Peanut Sauce
A delicious way to use garden carrots w/ crunchy peanuts, perfectly cooked carrot noodles. A must-try.

Ing Peanut Sauce 1 c light coconut milk 3 tbl ea natural p/butter, red curry paste 2 tbl ea lime juice, soy sauce 1 tbl minced gingeroot 2 minced gar/cl. Noodles 1 tbl coconut oil 1 ea med onion/red pepper (both sliced) 8 med garden carrots 2 tbl water 2 c bean sprouts ½ c rough-chp cilantro peanuts to garnish

Method--Bring sauce ing to a simmer on med-high cook a min then set offheat. Using mandoline, julienne peeler, or spiralizer, cut carrots into noodle shapes. Heat coconut oil on med-high. Cook onions 3 min, just to soften. Add red pepper and carrots then water. Cover/steam 2 min, til carrot noodles begin to soften. Add bean sprouts, tofu, and cilantro, peanut sauce on top. Stir. Serve w/ peanuts garnish.

Chef Notes--Can add stir-fried chicken or tofu. Use good quality
Thai curry paste for best flavor. Amoy or Mae Jin brands are good.

[MomwithHope]

Amen! Loved your post.

[MomwithHope]

Friend and is wife came for lunch. He put the cap and heavy flat stone back on, found one 4” circle of shingle damage. No damage to the asphalt part just the top. He’ll take care of it in the near future.

[Diana in Wisconsin]

So far, a crunchy glaze of ICE over everything - budding trees, and my Magnolia! Grrr! But, they’ll be OK. We’ll be back to 50 degrees by next Friday and beyond.

Snow starting in earnest about 7pm, but radar doesn’t look all that bad. Foster Son, 3 hours north, has a full foot of snow so far.

Hoping for another mere flesh wound down here!

[MomwithHope]

I still have his garlic gong that he sent me.

[Diana in Wisconsin]

You knew Robert Frost? Cool!

[MomwithHope]

Is this payback for the kale stab? I meant tubebender. OK we are even. I’ll quit.