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.

[Pete from Shawnee Mission]

Qiviut....Blueberry and Cherry pies are the best Summer pies! (I love raspberry pie but not the seeds.)

[FamiliarFace]

$3.09 a gallon here, up 10 cents from yesterday. Too bad I didn’t go out for gas…YESTERDAY!!

[Paul R.]

Gas Stations in Western KY are still typically at $3.49.9 / gal. Murphy is down to $3.45. Southern IL is MUCH higher. :-(

[Diana in Wisconsin]

When I was a kid Grandpa and I used to take a walk down the lane and collect whatever bugs had left their eggs/larvae on the Goldenrod plants.

He LIVED for that bait in the late summer for pan fish of all kinds.

But, there wasn’t a Summer Friday Night when we DIDN’T have a mess of fried Yellow Perch for supper, with or without that Goldenrod bait.

So many good memories of, ‘Life On The Lake.’ :)

[Pete from Shawnee Mission]

'Lazily watching the cow herds"

Which comment pulled up from some quiet corner of my memory Grey's Elegy, taught in one of my long ago English lit courses! (Thank you!)

Elegy_Written_in_a_Country_Churchyard

The curfew tolls the knell of parting day, The lowing herd wind slowly o'er the lea, The ploughman homeward plods his weary way, And leaves the world to darkness and to me.

Now fades the glimmering landscape on the sight, And all the air a solemn stillness holds, Save where the beetle wheels his droning flight, And drowsy tinklings lull the distant folds:

....Snip (more at the wikipedia link below)

Elegy_Written_in_a_Country_Churchyard

[Kudsman]

Thanks for that story. We had a blast and it was a lovely summer afternoon.

[Qiviut]

The lowing herd wind slowly o'er the lea,

A much more elegant way of describing exactly what they were doing :-)

[Qiviut]

There was a nice farm pond on the neighbor’s property next to my grandparents farm. Grandad would call the neighbor & ask permission for us to fish. Half the adventure was getting there as we hiked across pastures & carefully climbed through or rolled under barbed wire fencing. The pond was good fishing - bluegill & bass. I caught a turtle once (released) & a 3 lb. 4 oz. bass was my biggest catch.

Dad cleaned our catch on newspapers in the yard near the kitchen door. The barn cats appeared to grab any fish parts being discarded. After being washed in the mud room sink, the fresh, clean fish went to Granny to fry up. She lightly breaded the fish with something & they were golden perfection when they came out of the pan. My very favorite meal at the grandparents farm was those pan-fried fish, cucumber salad & Granny’s stewed tomatoes over boiled potatoes. My mouth is watering just thinking about it.

[Diana in Wisconsin]

I am very tempted to buy the Presto Digital Pressure Canner. Both a friend AND her mother each have one and they both love it. And it would allow me to can so much more than I do with water bath canning.

Review here: https://creativecanning.com/presto-digital-pressure-canner-review/

$369.00 at Walmart. I’ll need to talk this purchase over with, ‘Management’ but it would get him off the hook for my birthday AND Christmas gifts this year. ;)

https://www.walmart.com/ip/Presto-Precise-12qt-Electric-Pressure-Canner-02144/920031969

And just a reminder to everyone - Canning Season will be here before we know it, so take inventory and make sure you have enough jars and rings and lids on hand!

This reminder is mostly for myself... ;)

[Diana in Wisconsin]

Boy, she really IS off schedule. I hope your Farmer Friend sees what’s happened.

Farmer Dan’s Heifers are hanging out at the very top of the pasture hill - enjoying the great views and flirting with the beef cattle across the fence.

That’s where the ‘accidental’ magic sometimes happens that allows us the Angus/Holstein cross steers that we raise for beef.

I know...TMI, LOL!

[Diana in Wisconsin]

Kwik Trip is down to $3.29, even beating Costco right now.

Yeah, it’s going to take a while for things to even out again.

https://www.gasbuddy.com/gasprices/wisconsin

[Liz]

Greek Spinach-Cheese Rolls / good do-ahead
Greek bakery-style herbaceous rolls filled with feta and spinach.

ING 1 lb pkg frozen bread dough, thawed as per pkg, 10 oz frozen chp spinach, thawed and squeezed completely dry, ¾ c crumbled feta, ½ c shredded Monterey Jack, 4 green onions, thin-sliced 1 tsp dried dill weed, ½ tsp ea gar/pwder, black pepper.

METHOD: On lightly floured surface, roll thawed dough into 15×9" rectangle.
FILLING mix well spinach, feta, Monterey Jack, green onions, dill, gar/powder, black pepper.

ASSEMBLY Spread spinach mixture evenly over dough, leaving a 1" border at long edges. Starting at long side, roll dough tightly jelly-roll style; pinch seam to seal. Place seam-side down and cut crosswise into 15 equal slices w/ serrated knife. Place slices cut-side up into 15 sprayed standard 2½" muffin cups. Cover loosely; let rise in warm place for 30 min til slightly puffy. FINAL Bake golden 375 deg 20–25 min. Serve warm or at room temp.

Chef Notes Squeeze spinach well to prevent soggy rolls. Can be assembled
day ahead and baked just before serving. Leftovers reheat well in a low oven.

[Bon of Babble]

Thanks - checked for red cedar mulch at my local Lowe’s - they not only have it but it’s on sale - heading there in about an hour - two bags ought to do it around my ripening figs.

[Bon of Babble]

Thanks - no fires around here - Thank God and knock on wood!

But, they are next to where I used to work (in another lifetime). Checking the air quality every day and it is in the “moderate” range - I assume b/c of the fires. Don’t smell anything - and hope they’re put out soon.

Good news is this is not our windy season so that should help.

[Qiviut]

Thanks for the link(s) .... pressure canners always looked scary to me, but this one looks good. Evidently, you can also water bath can in it, too. Definitely going on my ‘future purchase’ list.

My one Granny water bath canned everything (vegetables & fruits, no meat). She had a big roasting pan with water she put on the stove & her jars went in that. No way the roasting pan had enough water to totally cover the jars by an inch or two. Why no one died of botulism, I’ll never understand. Canned food was kept in the basement & it seems there was frequently a jar or two exploding so that tells you some jars were definitely going bad.

The other Granny also water bathed however they had metal cans & a sealer to close the cans. She had a huge metal pot & would boil cans all day & as far as I know, no spoilage. She would can sausage my grandfather made this way. One of my dad’s favorite meals was canned sausage & hominy. Both grandfathers had reputations as excellent sausage makers.

[Qiviut]

The huge metal pot Granny boiled cans in all day .... it was one of those giant black pots & was over a fire out in the yard.

[Pete from Shawnee Mission]

Qiviut. I think there are ways to can using your Oven, but it involves a Hot Pack? (For fig jam hot jam into the can, lid it, move to the oven. At some point turn it upside down to kill any mold or bacteria on the lid. I think this is before you move to the oven?)

I think I did this once (the only time) with fig jam and it worked well. (A bit thicker than jam...not as dense as fruit leather.)

I think that at one point there were canning co-ops that had large steam pressure canning? (These are somewhere in your general area I think? Western Virgina? ) I think that there may still be canning co-ops in other rural communities. (Mormon and Amish?)

Keezletown Community Cannery

https://keezletowncommunitycannery.blogspot.com/

"The Keezletown Community Cannery is the only true can-your-own, nonprofit cannery remaining in Virginia and it is one of the oldest in the United States. The Cannery, located in Keezletown, began in 1942 in the basement of the elementary school. As World War II was raging and food and supplies at home were rationed, people began growing Victory Gardens to supplement their food supply – canning what they grew to ensure nothing went to waste."

[Qiviut]

No veggie garden/canning for me at the present time. I am ‘sensitive’ to nightshades & it’s gotten worse with age so I no longer grow tomatoes, peppers or eggplant. I never had luck with beans ... something always ate them up (bugs not bunnies) before they got very big. My SIL & I gave up on squash due to being overrun with squash bugs, despite our best efforts to keep them at bay.

The only canning I do currently is waterbath & I do mostly jalapeño pepper jelly because members of the family beg for it. We had a fig at the Old House, but none where we are now. I didn’t get any figs planted this year ... maybe next year.

[MomwithHope]

Lovely memory. I was the second daughter when Dad was hoping for a son. So I was his fishing buddy. Many great memories.

Here is a great website for those swimmers and fishers showing water temps on the great lakes. I keep it bookmarked to watch for Lake Michigan to warm up to 68-70. It is 40 minutes away and I badly want to get in a swim this year. I watch the webcam for no waves too. I am picky.
https://seagull.glos.org/map?coords=-85.5212302%2C42.9626866%2C7.3&lake=Michigan&status=activated&tags=platforms%3Atower-buoy%2Cweather%3Asurface_water_temperature%2Cwater%3A%2Cfavorite%3A&gad_source=1&gclid=Cj0KCQjwz7C2BhDkARIsAA_SZKYomr8JSBRZ2ZpWqp5dkvNthRMlHWBbtxlC8Ed1i8jptBSU8gHCbx4aAmQZEALw_wcB
Enlarge the map on the lake you want. Then put the cursor on the spot and do a single click, you will see the temp.

[MomwithHope]

I had the Presto two story canner (not digital) got it in the mid 70’s. Don’t remember what I paid for it but it was a lot at the time. Worked great did all my tomatoes and low acid veg. After moving here 1984 we just decided we did not like cooked veg. Gave the canner to my friend probably 15 years ago or more. She was blown away and said please borrow it back if you ever want to use it. I never did. She uses it every year. As long as you have the excellent manual it is very precise and easy to use.