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.
I think I'll continue to wait on the lantana and see what happens. The birdhouse gourd seeds had been in starter mix for a month when they finally started to pop yesterday. The American Senna was about a month for the first one to show up. Six weeks in there are now six of them. Six weeks in I have one red canna up from seed.
I'm in uncharted territory with most of those. Need to remind myself that patience is a virtue.
Wound up with 3.8" of rain from the storms that came through earlier in the week. South and west of here some places got over 6".
Especially for anyone with south Chicago ties, yes a slide but I am very proud of my brother the author. I don’t want to start a thread. He has had many other articles published but this is the biggest.
About the Memorial Day massacre at Republic Steel where my Dad worked for 37 years. It happened 90 years ago.
https://chicago.suntimes.com/other-views/2026/05/19/memorial-day-massacre-1937-american-tragedy-republic-steel-southeast-side-john-vukmirovich
Forecast, rain, rain and rain. Nice out today so I’m getting a few things done. Mater plants are leaning and will be on the ground if I don’t do something so the lean and lower strings are going up. Picked up a few carriage bolts needed to get the second X brace wire up for the tunnel. After that, whatever I feel like doing, and some mowing.
Tater plants are waste high. I planted them in 2” trenches and back filled plus piled up 2” and that’s all they’re getting. I went to the trouble of piling high one time and didn’t see much results. A few 1/2” nuggets was about it.
Seems like we’re ALL ‘over-blessed’ with rain again this season. Last year was the absolute pits. This year isn’t looking much better, rain-wise. :(
Where’s my Hot & Dry? Where’s my Global Warming?!?!
I have put stop leak in a couple of times. I think the stop leak has it’s limits on pressure. At least I know that a radiator is available even if I have to take it to a TIG welder to get it modified for the hose necks to be the correct angles. With a 45 year old tractor that’s not a popular USA model, there’s a lot that could go bad and there’s no getting parts for it.
I was just in my patio (mid-Atlantic area) and found these small black bugs (1/2 inch-) they appear to have a snout wand many very tiny white spots and are on the growing stems of my grape vine. Any ideas what these are?
I hope it dries up. Only dealt with Powdery Mildew once and it was last year due to the never ending rainy season.
The only thing that LOVED all the rain was my Cucumbers. I had a GAZILLION of them! I put up two kinds of pickles and made enough Pickle Relish to last me until I die.
I’m not growing Cucumbers this year. Or probably ever again, LOL!
Nice Fish! I meant to mention to you that one ‘weird’ thing I ate was Alligator. OMG! Had it when I was being ‘held captive’ in Louisiana by the Army as an Instructor.
Sadly, it was a step UP from my previous posting near Toad Suck, Arkansas, LOL! (But not by much!)
I could’ve lived off of ‘gator! Surely you could use it in a Quiche for breakfast, or in an egg scramble? LOL!
Reminded me of chunks of deep-fried Catfish, but no fishy flavor and so SWEET! :)
The Nasturtium non-starts went into the compost bucket, today. No mercy for failures around here! ;)
HOWEVER - I spotted TWO of them, volunteers from last year, in a garden bed the other day! :)
I think I’ll just throw a bunch of seeds on the beds come Fall and let Mother Nature handle the rest. I must be being WAY TOO KIND to them when I start them indoors. ;)
PUMPKIN PIE TARTLETS
Satisfying treat to snack on, or an elegant finish to the perfect meal.
Ing 16-2 1/2" foil baking cups 3/4 c sugar 1 tbl cornstarch 1 tsp cinnamon 1/2 tsp ea ginger,salt 2 lge egg whites 15 oz can LIBBY'S® Pumpkin 12 oz can Evap/Milk. Garnish: 1 c cool whip gingersnap crumbs
Method Place sprayed foil cups on b/sheet. COMBINE sugar, cornstarch, cinnamon, ginger salt; set aside. Beat egg whites. Stir in pumpkin/sugar mixture. Gradually stir in evap/milk. Spoon 1/4-1/3 c batter into each cup. BAKE 350 deg 25-28 min; knife in center comes clean. Cool on baking sheet 20 min. Refrigerate an hour or more. Serve Topped w/ cool whip, garnished w/ gingersnap crumbs.
© 2009 and ®/™ Société des Produits Nestlé S.A., Vevey, Switzerland, w/ permission by LIBBY'S.
I thought NEXT weekend was Memorial Day weekend so I guess I’m in a bit of a fog, mentally. I dreamed about fried pickles for some reason last night, too.
We’ve had 2.56 inches of rain in the last 72 hours & it should rain the rest of the day, overnight & into Saturday. This is ‘drought busting’ and we need it. People who rented cabins for the weekend and/or planned on outdoor activities (river float trips, hiking, etc.) are going to be very disappointed.
Those Tartlets are so CUTE! :)
The touch of gingersnaps is inspired....you think?
The touch of gingersnaps is inspired....you think?
I grew up on cement in Milwaukee, but my Grandparents retired early and lived on Big Silver Lake in Washara County, about a 4 hour drive. A lot of times Dad was working odd late-night shifts, so we’d be asleep in our beds, and when we woke up we were ‘magically’ at Grandma’s! How did they do that?
I can only remember a handful of times that the lake was warm enough for swimming at the end of May - but we’d be in the lake all day anyway!
It was the official Kick-Off to Summer. Yay! Mom would take Sis and I for our ‘Pixie’ haircuts right before Memorial Day, which was pretty smart - she didn’t have to deal with our hair at all in the Summer. We were both waterlogged most of the time, anyway. ;)
Simple pleasures and happy memories.
You guys will enjoy this! It’s a short feature on the Seed Saver’s Farm in Decorah, Iowa done by Iowa PBS. Diane was my ‘Big Boss’ and her son Aaron was my ‘Everyday Boss’ for the 8 years I worked for Seed Savers.
The Welcome Center was built after Lilian Goldman (Yes, of Goldman-Saks!) donated a bunch of money to us. Amish built. I had the absolute PLEASURE of ‘merchandising’ the store with Diane for our Grand Opening. A lot of work, but so much fun! I was offered a job there at the farm, but my boys were in High School, so moving to Iowa at that time was not gonna happen. :(
You Tube: 7 minutes or so.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iBQ5R9NVHHg
How to Deadhead Geraniums for Healthy, Beautiful Flowers All Summer (Martha Stewart)
https://www.marthastewart.com/how-to-deadhead-geraniums-8677782
Geraniums are beloved for their clusters of petite flowers in vivid shades of pink, coral, red, and white. And while these cheery flowers add low-maintenance color to your garden, either in-ground or in containers, they appreciate one regular care routine: deadheading.
By removing faded or wilting flowers where they meet the main stem, you can keep your geraniums blooming, healthy, and beautiful throughout the growing season. We spoke with experts to learn how to deadhead geraniums properly and why it’s so important.
Tools You’ll Need
Scissors, clippers, or pruners
Instructions
Pinpoint the flowers you want to remove—those that are wilting, discolored, dead, or otherwise distracting from your plant’s aesthetic.
Follow the stem from the base of the flower cluster to the main stem of the plant.
Pinch or cut the flower stem where it meets the main stem. “Make a clean cut to avoid damaging the plant,” says Spoonemore.
Dispose of the deadheaded flowers in the compost or trash.
Water and fertilize to encourage new blooms.
Why You Need to Deadhead Geraniums
Deadheading geraniums benefits the plant in several ways: It encourages blooming, protects the plant’s health, and makes it even more beautiful.
Encourage Blooming
Pinching or trimming off dead and dying flower heads helps the plant direct its efforts toward a profusion of new blooms. “With geraniums and other plants, the act of deadheading will encourage continued flowering,” says Andrew Bunting, vice president of horticulture for the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society. “By removing the old flowers, the plant’s energy will go into the production of more and new flowers.”
Improve Plant Health
While pruning encourages the growth of healthy stems, deadheading supports the health of the plant’s multi-flowered blooms. Deadheading prevents potential disease from decaying blooms, says Spoonemore. Redirecting energy away from dead blooms has other health benefits, too: “Deadheading will improve the health and vigor of the plant,” says Bunting.
Making the Plant More Beautiful
Dead flowers are a natural part of your geranium’s life cycle—but probably not what you want to look at in your garden bed. “For geraniums, deadheading helps extend the blooming period and keeps the plant looking tidy and vibrant,” says Spoonemore.
How Often You Should Deadhead Geraniums
You don’t need to set a schedule for deadheading geraniums. Just remove fading flowers as you find them. This could mean daily or weekly during the blooming seasons. “They should be deadheaded regularly, as often as every day if needed,” says Bunting. “As soon as you see a spent flower cluster, remove the flower head and flower stem.”
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