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]

Outside:

Prune Forsythia away from A/C unit - DONE

Fill gallon jugs from rain barrel - DONE (twice!)

Weeding - Never Ending, but partially DONE

Selective Round-up on one tough area (not near food) DONE

Water Greenhouse (am & pm) DONE

Move tomatoes outside for some breeze action DONE

Hook up garden hoses DONE

Put down some mulch - This is turning into a summer-long project. One bag at a time, 12 bags, LOL!

Inside:

Clean the coffee pot DONE

Make Celery and Cream Cheese Snacks DONE

Water Houseplants - DONE

Make Jam Muffins and/or Zucchini Bread...Pending!

[Paul R.]

That’s a pretty strong report!

[Paul R.]

Haha - ours have names too, tho’ each one gets named the same thing. It’s vaguely Asian:

” Dangting!! “

[metmom]

I’ve already prepped the planting holes with fertilizer and bone meal.

I also already pinched off the lower leaves so they can heal over before going in the ground.

One summer, many years back it was very cool and rainy and my tomatoes did NOTHING until Aug when it finally warmed up. But by then it was too late to get a good crop.

[Paul R.]

Thanks! I could give the bee’s wax a try on wood in like new shape.

However, if the wood has deteriorated a little, I think something that polymerizes, such as teak oil, will restore some strength - but it will have to penetrate very deeply to be effective in that. Say, at least 1/2”. One might call it an inspiration from fiberglass resin. :-)

The latter is what I’m wondering if anyone has experience with.

BTW, I knew a guy who tried treating an old wood handle with very low viscosity CA. (Super Glue.) It worked great, except he didn’t use a modified (rubberized) CA, and straight CA continues to harden with age and heat cycles, eventually becoming brittle. That backfired on him, eventually.

[metmom]

We used to have celery stalks with pineapple cream cheese filling.

I LOVED it!

[Augie]

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. :(

My Cherokee Purple tomatoes have gotten a little over 4" of rainfall since I planted them out and they are NOT happy about it. The peppers that #1 Granddaughter helped set out are looking great. The sugar snap peas that I planted turned out to be a packaging error - they're actually snow peas... not really what I wanted but there they are so it'll have to do. lol

I got the remaining eight tomato plants set out yesterday. Cucumber fence is up and seeds are in the dirt. I need to set another row of fence to be ready for the birdhouse gourds to grow on. Those need a few more days to make some roots before I transplant them, and I've got a feeling that a few more will be popping up over the next few days.

I pulled the cold frames off of the raised beds a few days ago. The beets in there are finally starting to take off. Chinese cabbages have been moved from starter cells to one of the raised beds. Stonehead cabbages in the greenhouse look really good and are starting to form heads. With a little luck I'll have fermented sauerkraut and kimchi from this crop.

Baby Eastern Phoebes left the nest yesterday afterday afternoon.

5/22 was the anniversary of Howard's arrival here. What a blessing he has turned out to be. We couldn't have asked for a better pup.

[Diana in Wisconsin]

You’re ahead of me! :)

I am adding another chore DONE to the list: Got my ‘Saychelles’ green pole beans in, some ‘Scarlet Runner Beans’ and the ‘Ruby Moon Hyacinth Bean’ (Thomas Jefferson’s favorite!)

I put fresh sting on the pole for the ‘Saychelles’ and then it started to rain on me and I lost my enthusiasm. The soil is FINALLY at 70 degrees.

Still have the other pole set-up to string for the future ‘Good Mother Stollard’ pole drying beans that are going there. The ‘Lena Sisco Bird Egg’ bush beans may bet planted this afternoon if the rain lets up. It’s just a shower, no need to drag out the Ark for a change. :)

[Diana in Wisconsin]

This time I used a Dill Pickle whipped cream cheese that I found at Walmart for stuffing the celery. I usually just use the plain with lots of fresh ground pepper.

Goes great with a glass of red wine...for health reasons, of course! :)

[Diana in Wisconsin]

Thanks for the Howard Fix! :) We’ll soon have a barn full of baby Swallows. They’re so dang CUTE!

[metmom]

I got the plants in. Goodness, the soil is wet!

Parts of my garden tend to get swampy when it rains too much.

But after the last two dry summers, I’m not complaining.

[metmom]

I got my pole beans in already and am just waiting to see if/when they come up. Providing no rodents eat the seeds first......

[Diana in Wisconsin]

We may have missed a 'R W & B' 'Porch Pot' for Memorial Day, but we can still pull one together for the 4th of July, our 250th Anniversary!

9 Red, White, and Blue Container Designs for Independence Day

We don’t need an excuse to embellish flowering containers, but with Independence Day approaching, the opportunity presents itself to add a splash of red, white, and blue to arrangements. Whether a straightforward representation or a loose adaptation, this classic flowering color scheme celebrates the Fourth of July and the summer season with versatility. Join gardener Katherine Rowe in exploring adaptable displays to highlight Independence Day.

https://www.epicgardening.com/red-white-blue-containers/

[Diana in Wisconsin]

I almost ALWAYS have to plant bean seeds twice, or fill in some gaps when the others start to emerge. Chipmunks! They're also very keen on stealing sunflower seeds from the feeder (or found on the ground) and 'planting' them for me in various pots around the garden.

[Qiviut]

I finally got the ‘gloomies’. Four days of rain & no sunshine will do that, plus we got word on 2 people we know yesterday that isn’t good. They just add to the list of dead, dying & diagnosed that’s been getting longer since March.

Moving on .... took all my plants holding in the shop & got them outdoors this evening. The weather should be 70’s, cloudy & rainy this week so at least they won’t get fried. They still need planting & I’ll try to do a couple a day the rest of the week. The jalapeños are very tall & leggy. I put them in Dollar Store wire trash baskets - they can only bend so far. I’ll have to tie them up when I plant them. I tucked the baskets in among my herb garden so hopefully the deer don’t find them.

Speaking of deer - probably the same one from last year has started munching on one of the hosta pots - exact same place on the pot as last year.

[Diana in Wisconsin]

“Four days of rain & no sunshine will do that...”

As a Leo, I totally get that! 100%

You should be turning a corner soon. And don’t forget about the Blue Moon on the evening of May 31st! We’re planting the tomatoes that day, so I hope all of the ‘stars’ will be aligned for us both. :)

((HUGS))

[FamiliarFace]

Yes, we have Expert Gardener plants at our Walmart, and that’s been a brand they’ve carried for a least a year, as well as the Bonnie plants. I have purchased several this season, and they’re all doing well. I even got a few EG begonias on the clearance rack, and they look every bit as good as the ones they haven’t reduced.

I will also add that the EG folks come in and set up the displays themselves, as I ran into a few workers a year ago. They weren’t Walmart employees, and they were fairly knowledgeable, and pleasant to boot.

[Qiviut]

🌧 again today & probably ‘til Friday.

My niece & her family went tent camping this past weekend. The only time it wasn’t raining was a couple of hours Sunday afternoon. She said her boys LOVED it - non-stop mud, salamanders, frogs, snails, etc. The boys are 3 & 5. I don’t know how she deals with it other than I have noticed her getting a certain ‘glazed’ look on her face when the boys are rip-roaring. I have tent camped in the rain during backpacking trips & keeping the wet/mud out of the tent was an issue & I only had myself to deal with. God knew what he was doing when my life’s plan did not include having children (no joke).

[FamiliarFace]

Ahhh, the joys of tent camping in the rain with the family!! I can totally relate!

My family (2 parents, 6 kids) tent-camped across the US and Canada for my entire childhood every summer for a week or so. Those station wagon trips were epic.

One summer, we went from central Florida up the eastern states, through Maine, and eventually over to Prince Edward Island, and back. When we finally made it to the destination of PEI, Dad found a choice campsite, where he planned for us to do hiking, a bit of fishing, and good ole campground fun. Problem is that it rained for the entire 3 days he had allotted for us to be there. I was 9. The bunch of us kids ranged in age from 6-1/2 to 18.

The good news/bad news is that we brought Yahtzee! with us. Poor Dad. On day 2, Dad drove off for provisions. For the first time in my life, I saw a six pack of beer mixed in with the groceries. And after hearing “Yahtzee!” raucously declared by one of us overly enthusiastic kids, who had nothing better to do, Dad went to the massive ice chest, pulled out a beer, and chugged it. I’ve never seen him do such a thing before or since.

Those trips every summer were the one thing that binds my whole family together, through thick and thin. Adversity, not posterity, are what keeps you together.

[Qiviut]

Dad rented a small pop out camper for a long weekend in a mountain park when my brother’s & I were young (under 12). Of course, it rained the whole time. No ‘Yahtzee’. I think we left a day early & it was the last time we tried ‘camping’.

I suspect the beer shelves at Walmart were empty or had limited choices this weekend. The RV parks were full & there were lots of expensive cabin rentals & with the rain & very cool temps, all the usual tourist activities were washed out.