The Victory Garden Thread - June, 2026

June 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]

My Mom only buys her gas at Costco and she saves a lot. I don’t have that option. :(

I 1/2 filled the VW Golf on Friday at Kwik Trip, but since she’s 25 years old now, I give her the Top Shelf go-go juice which was $4.09/gallon. We also use that Premium in all of our farm vehicles and the lawn mower.

I don’t know if it really matters, but Beau seems to think that it does. And believe me - he has been screaming loud and long about the price of Diesel which he uses in his work truck and skid steer!

[Pete from Shawnee Mission]

Garden update: Planted 8 Lincoln Broccoli. Kept covered to avoid cabbage loopers.
I lost 2 (underdeveloped and rotted roots...I think symphylans!) Found some looper damage. Harvested and gave 2 away, ate one, have two left uncovered in the and growing. With only 2 left I will just monitor daily for loopers. The taste of this fresh broccoli was excellent, not at all skunky like store bought!

I have been harvesting lettuce (Sanguine Ameliore butterhead) for most of the month. I sprinkled perhaps 4 or 5 different varieties in my bed between my beets and this was the one that survived. I have harvested most of my Beni Hidi Red Japanese Turnips. I am pulling up any left since its getting hot and they will just cabbage looper butterflies. Beets are increasing in size. will be ready soon...7-10 days I think!

Estonian Garlic. Clipped the Scarps a week ago. 2 leaf wrappers have died off. will harvest when 2 more die off. 1-2 weeks? Early. Soon I hope. I planted some butternut squash seedlings last night at one end of the bed so I need to evict the garlic soon!

2 Determinate tomatoes have started blossoming. I Clipped lower branches and 1st set of flowers. Clipping is now done. Just let them go until it dies back. (I Used cardboard on this part of the garden. Two problems...the area was not perfectly flat, sort of lumpy so it does not sit well. Need to have Flat spot for cardboard mulch. 2nd...The termite thing. You get a lot of worms underneath but also termites.

Indeterminate tomatoes . planted later and when warmer. They are growing aggressively. Put up support framework in preparations!) Planted Melons and Squash last night, along with some basil. Dug up and replanted clumps of Ishikura multiplier bunching onions individually next to the melons to hopefully confuse cucumber beetles. Planted several butternut squash next to oregano bush. Will direct them among the bunching onions and lemon balm and see what happens!

Will see if I can get pictures.

[metmom]

The Gulf coast is paradise.

Mr. mm and I rented a place on Anna Maria Island several years ago. Life has not allowed for a return trip to FL.

:(

[Albion Wilde]

❤️

[Paul R.]

Gas Buddy reports under $3.10 in the area near Carmel, Indiana. How they (and most of Indiana) are so much cheaper than most of the mid-south, I don’t know. Excepting S. Illinois, of course: THERE we know the reason — IL sticks out nearly as badly as CA on Gas Buddy’s map. Yeesh!!

Just out of curiosity, how high did you max out? IIRC, at one point I think I paid $4.29/gal. Some stations in S. IL were over $5.

Anyway, it’s nice to see better relief for some people! :-)

[Paul R.]

Ugh. Symphylans are almost as repulsive as the humidity we have on the way. Today has been slightly better than forecast due to cloud cover coming off of t-storms that popped up a bit unexpectedly to our SW. The clouds are blocking Sol, so, it’s not too bad outside.

[MomwithHope]

That is such a sweet story abut your grandson. Thanks for sharing.

[FamiliarFace]

The highest I paid was $4.65/gallon at our Costco. Carmel is one of the ritziest places around. Hard to believe it’s even less there than where I am.

[FamiliarFace]

When the kids were younger, we used to go to Madeira Beach every summer for a week. When I was looking in November for places there in June, I couldn’t find anything that fit our parameters. I needed 4 units in the same condo group. Then my sister in St. Pete mentioned Anna Maria Island, and I scrounged all the travel websites till I could find something that seemed about right. It is expensive, but we are treating ourselves for a job well done. I hope it will be as lovely as others have said.

Usually we go to the Gulf coast in the Panhandle, near Fort Walton Beach (Okaloosa island). There’s not an easy access airport for our kids on the West Coast, so we nixed that location. Truthfully, this way the kids and grandkids will get to see a lot of their cousins and their children that they haven’t seen in the flesh in years. Should be at least 40 of us together for the first time in 10 years. Some of us have been together more recently than that, but not all of us. Should be very lively.

[FamiliarFace]

😍

[metmom]

Sounds like a great time. ENJOY!!!!!

[FamiliarFace]

Thank you! I’m praying for safe travels for everyone, good health, and no major arguments if people start to get on each other’s nerves. Go to the beach or to the ice cream shop. We don’t have to be on top of each other the whole time.

[Diana in Wisconsin]

Well, it may not be as exciting as winning a Leg Lamp, but our Emma Jolene won BEST IN SHOW this evening at the United Kennel Club Bench Show! There was some stiff competition, but they were youngsters and not all that well behaved.

We got there early because there is MAJOR (award) road construction going on in the TWO Cow Towns I had to drive us through to get there, but we sat in the shade and drank from our water bowls and when they started setting up the show benches Emma SNAPPED TO! I've never seen her do that before, as both Beau and Hallie have shown her and I missed all of that excitement. Emma knew JUST what to do, and how she should stand with 'one paw in each corner on tippy-toes' and her chin and tail held high. It was amazing! I mean, how could she NOT win? :)

So we are, 'Home From The Ball' and all evening chores are done and I even remembered to turn off the water when filling Ithaca's water tank! Emma is now a double winner. She is a Nite Champion for her raccoon hunting skills, and she is now a Bench Champion as she is a perfect example of what a Female Treeing Walker Coon Hound needs to be to represent her breed. I'm just BURSTING, I'm so proud of her!

I'm trying to find a photo of her, but my files are such a mess! Sorry!

Mommy is now having a Martini and calling it a night. See you all on the flip side!

[Pollard]

Work work work for me. This work weekend is extra rough. Started work at 5am, worked during breaks and lunch on a project, worked on it more after I got off at 3:30 and just got home at 7:30.

They got a new machine in and I volunteered to take the huge crate away, plus the small one. Base of the big one is 8’ x 10.5’ — basically a big heavy pallet and is now sitting on the frame of my 2 ton truck. Plan to put as many 1950-53 Chevy truck body parts on it as O can fit. Fenders, doors, bumpers etc. Part of general clean up around here.

Crates are 8’ tall too so there’s metric versions of 2x4s with plywood on them. I’m guessing 8mm plywood.

All of these crates from a Japanese machine company have a steel frame inside. Someone already got that and the one before and the one before that. I’m taking the wood from this one to get brownie points so I can call dibs on the next steel frame. Also helps that I just made it 1 year here so I’m evidently a keeper. I’ll make use of the wood of course.

Maters are doing good. Taters are doing good. Tractor is doing good but I just had the mower deck belt break so I need 1 or more.

My twins, the riding mowers, have mower deck issues. Three blade spindles plus two idler pulleys and all buy one spindle are locked up. Need new fuel hose from tank to carb and the tank is on the back while the engine is up front. The routing of that fuel line is not obvious and the tank is enclosed in the heavy sheet metal backend.

[Pete from Shawnee Mission]

Pollard; You live in a world of constant breakdown and repairs! I hope you get your high tunnel finished and get some time for yourself and your son!

[FamiliarFace]

Congratulations to you and Emma Jolene! Good girl!! It IS a Major award.

Love the Leg Lamp, and every now and again, part of me wants to have one. The other part says no, especially because two houses down from us, those neighbors have one in their front window. Makes me smile every time we go past their house.

[Pete from Shawnee Mission]

Diana! Congratulations! Happy lady! Happy Dog!

I hope all the other dogs and Beau and his friends are getting their exercise in the "Running of the Bears" in Ontario!

(Dunnoh....looks like a squirrel?)

[Paul R.]

That’s sort of what I was thinking*, but, maybe if they have money, they don’t need a local gas tax???

*I have an aunt who lives not too far away. So, I’m no expert on the area, but am “aware” of it.

[Paul R.]

Fantastic!

[FamiliarFace]

Maybe that explains it. I hadn’t thought about that.