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The Victory Garden Thread - May, 2026
May 1, 2026 | Diana in WI/Greeneyes in Memoriam

Posted on 05/01/2026 6:24:57 AM PDT by Diana in Wisconsin

The MONTHLY Victory Garden 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 Victory Garden 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.


TOPICS: Agriculture; Food; Gardening; Hobbies
KEYWORDS: cowgirlcandy; deerproof; food; fritatta; garden; gardening; howard; selfsufficiency; selfsufficient; victory; vidaliaonionsauce; vitaminc; wasps
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To: Diana in Wisconsin

Sounds like a wonderful day! My mom had a quiet day - she loved the card I gave her & cried. I told her she’d have to take a raincheck on her present, but she declared she doesn’t want a present (she’s getting it anyway!). Both brothers called. The one sent a very nice card, the other sent an assortment of nuts (he doesn’t know she can’t eat them - we’ll save for company) & a very pretty flower card bouquet that folds into a 3-d sort of display. It matches mom’s bedroom & no water required. I’ve been under the weather the last week & she’s had BP issues. I appear to be on the mend & after reviewing her meds & making some changes as to timing, she was back to normal today. God is good.

You would have laughed at me tonight. I needed to drop the truck off this evening for state inspection & an oil change tomorrow. I can’t remember the last time I used it, but evidently it was before the spring pollen palooza. The truck is also in the barn where the pigeons roost so it always has some poop on it. The normally gray truck was yellow - I couldn’t see out the windshield clearly. Normally, I am a ‘no fuss’ sort of person - trucks get dirty & I have taken dirty trucks to the shop before, but this was so bad I just.couldn’t.do.it.

I hooked a hose up (for the first time this year); but from previous experience, just water does not remove pollen. What to do? I had a Mr. Clean shower & tub scrubber in the garage. It has a long handle & I had 2 soap pads left that fit on it. The truck got “Mr. Cleaned”! Mom said it looked ‘beautiful’, all shiny in the late sunlight. The soap probably wasn’t the best for the finish, but it worked in a pinch & I rinsed well. With the long handle, I got everything but the cab roof & no one will see that anyway! I will ask at the shop tomorrow where there’s a good car wash. Total humiliation & embarrassment averted, thank you Mr. Clean!


261 posted on 05/11/2026 7:13:41 PM PDT by Qiviut (A Mighty Fortress: “...the body they may kill. God’s truth abideth still. His kingdom is forever")
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To: Qiviut

We lost the second half of our duo a couple of years ago, “Watson and Crick”. I always thought Crick was the healthier one. When he suddenly showed that he was crossing the rainbow bridge, I was not really ready for that event.

Those two were partners in crime, just like yours are/were. They tag teamed us during the night, but mostly kept each other company.

When Crick passed, Watson and I were both in mourning deeply, and fed off of each other trying to comfort the other. It lasted MONTHS.

I think we turned a real corner with Watson right around a year ago. He finally realized his big brother was not coming back.

*** I finally kicked them out & kept the bedroom door shut. Murphy was NOT happy. In the morning, when she thought I should be “up”, she would hook her paws under the door & rattle it while “yowling” loudly.***

I’m gobsmacked that the behavior of our collective cats is so similar. Where do they learn this? Watson does the same exact thing!

We have taken to leaving the door open when we go to sleep, but if he wakes us in the early morning, we scoot him out and close it completely. He is learning that we want our sleep.


262 posted on 05/11/2026 7:35:30 PM PDT by FamiliarFace (I got my own way of livin' But everything gets done With a southern accent Where I come from. TPetty)
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To: Albion Wilde; FRiends
Emma Jolene beat out TWELVE other competitors! She's very good at standing still and keeping her head and tail up, which is a big part of it, but much of the credit goes to Handler Hallie who is TRYING to get me into being a 'Bench Dog Mom' - with little success so far. ;) This is Emma's 2nd win. She needs one more UKC win, I think, and she can be a UKC 'Bench Champion.' She is our most 'decorated' dog right now, following in the footsteps of her Uncle, Lakota and her Daddy, Comanche.

I LOVE attending Bench Shows, though. These are not our dogs, but this is what I'm talking about. You just gotta stand there, looking pretty or handsome, and be a good representation of your dog breed:


263 posted on 05/11/2026 7:43:02 PM PDT by Diana in Wisconsin (I don't have, 'Hobbies.' I'm developing a robust Post-Apocalyptic skill set.)
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To: Albion Wilde

How lovely! :)


264 posted on 05/11/2026 7:47:26 PM PDT by Diana in Wisconsin (I don't have, 'Hobbies.' I'm developing a robust Post-Apocalyptic skill set.)
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To: Qiviut

“In the morning, when she thought I should be “up”, she would hook her paws under the door & rattle it while “yowling” loudly.”

Why my two aren’t outside EVERY NIGHT now that it’s nice again, amazes me. Eva will go out more than lazy Boyd. They’ve been BRATS all winter, just waiting for spring!

Boyd does the ‘door rattling’ when he thinks I should be up, too. This morning, he stood tall and I actually SAW the doorknob TURN - freaked me out! Glad it was daylight! Here’s hoping he doesn’t do this in the middle of the night - he might get shot, LOL!

(I don’t mind if Boyd sleeps with me. The door is shut to muffle the s-n-o-r-i-n-g from the next room...)


265 posted on 05/11/2026 7:55:23 PM PDT by Diana in Wisconsin (I don't have, 'Hobbies.' I'm developing a robust Post-Apocalyptic skill set.)
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To: Qiviut

Nice job! :)

I left my car parked under the big Maple for a few days last week. I drive on the grass into the side yard to unload groceries, versus treading the seven landings up to the house.

My little VW Golf is bird poop from one end to the other! And, of course, I ran out of windshield washer fluid at the same time!

Grrr! It’s always something!

But you know what? It’s NOT SNOW! LOL!


266 posted on 05/11/2026 8:01:39 PM PDT by Diana in Wisconsin (I don't have, 'Hobbies.' I'm developing a robust Post-Apocalyptic skill set.)
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To: Diana in Wisconsin

No snow, but would you believe we’re under a frost advisory AGAIN tonight?? It’s supposed the be 89° on Sunday. SO SICK of this yo yo weather 🤬


267 posted on 05/11/2026 8:12:00 PM PDT by Qiviut (A Mighty Fortress: “...the body they may kill. God’s truth abideth still. His kingdom is forever")
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To: Paul R.
"I assumed that's crushed eggshells."

Or ground. That works best.

You can use the shells to make your own calcium supplement by first baking them in the oven. You would have do a search to see the temperature and how long to bake. Then soak using 2 cups vinegar to 1 cup of egg shell. Pour off the liquid, wash, with clean water, drain, Dry, and store.

268 posted on 05/11/2026 8:40:53 PM PDT by Pete from Shawnee Mission
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To: ladyjane
Put them in a 5 gallon bucket, add 5% white vinegar, 2 cup for every 1 cup of shells.

Thank you! I agree, it is better to grind them first.

269 posted on 05/11/2026 8:43:57 PM PDT by Pete from Shawnee Mission
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To: Qiviut

More freezing? No fun! What altitude are you at???


270 posted on 05/11/2026 8:46:08 PM PDT by Pete from Shawnee Mission
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To: Diana in Wisconsin
Your car! Alas!

However, Free Guano!! Park and spray it off onto your raised beds!!!

Guano miners collecting White Gold!

271 posted on 05/11/2026 8:52:45 PM PDT by Pete from Shawnee Mission
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To: Pete from Shawnee Mission

1,000 - 1,200 feet.

It’s 37° at 6:30 so no ‘freezing’.


272 posted on 05/12/2026 3:28:57 AM PDT by Qiviut (A Mighty Fortress: “...the body they may kill. God’s truth abideth still. His kingdom is forever")
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To: Qiviut

I have done plaster repair on a few statues. It can be done and they can be restored. I found a recipe years ago I will send it. You could easily reform ears and find or mix a bronze colored enamel to paint. Have you got a photo of the statue with the ears showing? Answer with Freepmail.


273 posted on 05/12/2026 3:56:28 AM PDT by MomwithHope (Forever grateful to all our patriots, past, present and future.)
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To: Diana in Wisconsin

Big time congrats and thanks for the picture too. So are they strictly looking at confirmation in a bench show? In that pic looks like the one on the right is better.


274 posted on 05/12/2026 4:02:58 AM PDT by MomwithHope (Forever grateful to all our patriots, past, present and future.)
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To: MomwithHope
The dog on the left is a male and the dog on the right is a female, so both of these dogs were the Best In Show for their sex.

But, you're right. It's just like a regular 'dog show' in that you have to meet and/or exceed the standards for what a Treeing Walker Coon Hound looks like for the United Kennel Club. Emma even beat out the 'ringer' who is owned by a guy who just basically goes around to shows, winning with his dog. His dog has never hunted a day in his life! So proud of Emma Jolene and Hallie! :)

Hallie wins a LOT in her own right. She shows her American English Coon Hound who is really something. She looks like this:

We own one English, Shasta. She's a sweetheart and an amazing Bear dog. One of our best, per Beau.

In our area, we pretty much have TWO people that are qualified as Judges for these Bench Shows - they travel around a LOT to all the various hunting clubs we have - which are many! Due to Hallie, almost every hunt now has a Bench Show beforehand. She's the one I work with for our 'Hounding For A Cure' event we have in October to raise $$$ for breast cancer research. The money stays LOCAL.

Yeah, I could talk about dogs all day...and some days I do!

275 posted on 05/12/2026 6:23:38 AM PDT by Diana in Wisconsin (I don't have, 'Hobbies.' I'm developing a robust Post-Apocalyptic skill set.)
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To: Qiviut

I had BIG PLANS for my tomato plants. I left them out overnight, thinking the rain would come and give them a good ‘natural’ soak. But it’s dang chilly out this morning, and no real rain yet, so back into the greenhouse they went.

It was good that they got some movement from the breeze - toughens them up for what lies ahead.

I even had a dream last night about planting a cherry tomato at the edge of a busy street so people could help themselves when the tomatoes came on, LOL!

Why I no longer dream about Tom Selleck or Mark Harmon instead of tomatoes is anyone’s guess...kinda disappointing actually, LOL!


276 posted on 05/12/2026 6:31:03 AM PDT by Diana in Wisconsin (I don't have, 'Hobbies.' I'm developing a robust Post-Apocalyptic skill set.)
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To: Qiviut
Chilly start! I would have though higher! (I am at 1100 Ft.)

(I should probably go out and get some work done!)

277 posted on 05/12/2026 12:55:03 PM PDT by Pete from Shawnee Mission (Zone 6B KS/MO border 82 F Partly Sunny, Rain possible later)
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To: Diana in Wisconsin; All

Hahaha!

Of note. I did go by our Menards this morning, and in addition to their flyer sale on Bonnie’s plants, they had many in an unadvertised special, at $2.50 for the “4-1/2” “ pots (look like 4” to me) - then you get the 11% rebate if you send it in. Unfortunately, still no Shishito pepper plants there (or anywhere else I stopped, but I picked up onesy-twosey of several varieties of tomato and pepper plants - mostly varieties I don’t have, but a couple simply because the plants are at least 2 weeks ahead of mine (of the same variety), so maybe I can get some early production out of those. Plus other goodies there and on clearance at Wally World, and some other necessities. Came home, got plants into shade (and some needed water), worked on car, had half a brunch - whups- time to go pick up wifey! We had another incredible “bluebird day” outside, as the anglers call ‘em — Where did the afternoon go!!??


278 posted on 05/12/2026 3:05:49 PM PDT by Paul R. (Old Viking saying: "Never be more than 3 steps away from your weapon ... or a Uriah Heep song!" ;-))
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To: Paul R.

Thanks! We’re going to miss those pennies one of these days. Everybody will start selling their penny jars eventually...


279 posted on 05/12/2026 3:07:14 PM PDT by Albion Wilde (The first duty of the American government is to protect American citizens, not illegal aliens. --DJT)
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To: Diana in Wisconsin

It’s great to see champions in any field. You must be so proud of your Emma!


280 posted on 05/12/2026 3:13:28 PM PDT by Albion Wilde (The first duty of the American government is to protect American citizens, not illegal aliens. --DJT)
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