The Victory Garden Thread - May, 2026

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

[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.

[Diana in Wisconsin]

Beau has made Nettle Tea in the spring a time or two. If I just LOOK at a Nettle I break out in blisters, though I did try some of his ‘Spring Tonic’ with no ill effects.

[Bob434]

LOL reading your post made me hungry too :)

We have a ton of rasperries, black raspberries, and blackberries, so those are maintance free till they produce. We have cherry bushes, and used to make jam, but not gonna this year. The animals can have thrm. Loads of blueberries too. Still making yogurt blueberry smoothies fr9m last year’s crop. So good. Throw in some bananas and strzwberries and got a pretty powerful delcious drink. Drool8n for some cantelope and watermelon. We had a tiny cucumber patch last year but wow did they produce. Lov3 toasted cucumber sandwhiches. Toasted tomato too with mayo and salt and peppa!

[Diana in Wisconsin]

Rain and storm warnings/severe weather possible today and Monday. Looks like we’ll be getting slammed between 1 and 2pm around here. None of the dogs are even ASKING to go out, today. ;)

New puppy, Grover, now rules the porch. AS I feared, Midnight was very aggressive towards him, so she’s in a kennel, now. Beau will decide what to do about her ‘bad attitude’ and if all else fails, Kurt said he would take her back to his farm.

These were pups 28 and 29. Never have had an aggression problem before. Guess I’ve been lucky. :(

[Liz]

Coconut Bread with Lime Glaze
Moist coconut cake topped with lime glaze and sweet coconut.

Ing Coconut Bread 1½ C Flour 1/2 tsp Sea Salt 1 tsp B/Powder 3/4 C Sugar 1/4 C Butter 2 Lge Eggs 3/4 C Unsweetened Coconut milk 1/2 tsp Vanilla 1/3 C Sweetened Flaked Coconut. Glaze/Topping 1 C conf 1½ Tbl Fresh Lime Juice 1/3 C Sweetened Flaked Coconut Zested Lime

Method Bread: Sift flour, salt, b/powder. Set aside. Mix butter and sugar; add eggs, coconut milk, vanilla while mixing. Gradually mix in dry ing. Fold in flaked coconut. Bake in n/s loaf pan 45-50 min; pick comes clean. Cool on rack.

Glaze: Mix conf/lime juice smooth. Poke 30 holes into bread w/ pick. Spread w/ 1/2 glaze.
Mix flaked coconut w/ rest glaze. Top w/ glazed coconut, lime zest.

[Diana in Wisconsin]

You had me at, ‘Lime Glaze.’ :)

[Pete from Shawnee Mission]

Fallen Trees....Bad fortune? or maybe Providence!

Now You will not have to watch Beau risk his life, having decided to become an amature arborist, draped in ropes clambering around the top of a dangerous tree with a running chain saw lopping off limbs in order to save an old barn! (Bet he could do it too!...But....)

If Oak, Opportunity! Perhaps Investigate setting aside a rick of mushroom innoculated logs somewhere shady... venison and mushrooms a great combo! (I bought 5 lbs of Red Lake reservation Wild Rice

Anyway, that said, established trees are friends you count on, and unless they threaten your buildings or shade your garden, you are usually sorry to lose them! (I am.)

[Diana in Wisconsin]

[Liz]

Hmph....I knew that.

[FamiliarFace]

Love these ideas.

The second link didn’t work for me. Oh, I think I see the problem. It was posted twice. I’ll try that one again later.

[FamiliarFace]

I sure hope all goes better for your mom with her tick bites! You should double check yourself, too, as a precaution. Let us know how things go. Praying!

[Paul R.]

I definitely should try that one! And then restrain myself to eat it in small portions!!!

Lots of sirens this morning, from emergency vehicles going by. It’s probably a fire somewhere, but not upwind of us, as I smell no smoke. We are warm (high today predicted @ 88 deg. F*), breezy (lake wind advisories are posted nearby), and quite dry - the light showers yesterday were VERY light from here, south. Just enough to “muddy” windshields.

*There’s basically no heat index due to the moderate humidity, so this afternoon shouldn’t be too bad to work outdoors. Tomorrow it may be a bit less comfortable, but that SUPPOSED to presage several rainy days. This spring has been the opposite of last spring: We keep getting these forecasts of extended periods of significant rains, and they never pan out as even 1/2 of what’s been predicted. Last spring was the opposite!

Well, at least I can control the garden not getting drowned!

[FamiliarFace]

I’m so glad the trees didn’t fall towards the barn! If I could buy your firewood, I would. We recently told one of the tree guys that if he wants to avoid a dumping fee, we would take some of the trees he takes down and cut them and season ourselves. We do have some decent trees that have fallen across the creek, but I have no way of hauling them back here. No bridge (yet).

[Paul R.]

If I could just quit trying new tomato seed / plant varieties...

And, DRAT, my Menards rebate card finally arrived, and I’d already bought those extra plants and other stuff...!

[Qiviut]

We’re at UC now waiting, so we’ll see how it goes.

I am super sensitive to tick bites - as soon as I get a bite, I’m itching, so I catch them pretty quick. I also haven’t been wading in tall grass like mom!

[Qiviut]

We literally waded through nettle patches on some hikes - I quit wearing shorts. Sometimes you could beat a path with a hiking stick, but long pants were better although I did get stung through my pants a couple of times. If there was jewel weed nearby, there was a liquid in the stalks that was supposed to help with the sting/pain. Cold mountain stream water didn’t help. Mostly, it just had to wear off.