Posted on 10/01/2026 6:56:54 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.
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Went out to take down the Blue Greasy Grit bean plants when, lo and behold, they were coming on again! I can’t tell you how happy I was to see these scrumptious beauties even though I’ll have to dig out the canning stuff again.
I so want to get back into the garden.
Maybe I can try again....
My arthritis has made it near impossible but my heart wants to garden!!

So many wonderful things to eat in-season this month! I will soon be making my favorite Kale Pesto from, 'Love and Lemons.'
https://www.loveandlemons.com/kale-pesto/
We are getting another heat wave right now in So Cal, unfortunately, high 90s over the weekend, so everything is about maintenance and not planting anything until later in the month or Nov. Nurseries have out beautiful winter bedding plants and it's hard to resist but know what our heat can do to new plants.
Lots of blooms right now too, late Sept. and early Oct.
My Zulu/Corpse flowers are blooming now, they are spectacular and amazing:
Love these but they do attract flies - why they are in the back of the garden.
This beautiful desert rose does not seem to mind the heat:
This scarlet sage came up all by itself underneath my lemon tree:
And, this is the time of year silk floss trees bloom:
Happy Halloween: Let the decorating begin!
October 1 & we still have hummingbirds - 2 spotted on the feeder this morning!
Potential for FROST Monday evening .... boo hiss!
I’m right behind ya, Sister! Arthritis runs in my family - to the point of needing shoulder, hip and knee replacements.
Gardening would also be the last thing I’d want to give up if I had to! Cooking? Gone! Cleaning? Gone! Laundry? Gone! LOL!
How to Modify Gardening Tasks for Arthritis Sufferers: My Personal Journey
https://mystylishbackyard.com/pain-free-gardening-tasks-arthritis/
Gardening With Arthritis: 11 Joint-Friendly Ways to Keep Growing
https://www.dnagardens.com/gardening-with-arthritis/
As usual, I LOVE it all, and especially the Day of the Dead flag. I need one of those! :)
Mom and I will be making our yearly/seasonal trek to ‘Munchkey’s Apple Orchard’ for apples and especially Apple Cider Doughnuts, in another week or so! They grow out 60-some varieties of apples. Family-run operation.
So, looking for something BEYOND an Apple Pie, though those are hard to beat. ;)
20 Ways to Have Apples for Breakfast:
https://www.allrecipes.com/gallery/apples-for-breakfast/
I Asked 3 Farmers for the Best Baking Apples, and This Variety Is Their Top Pick:
https://www.allrecipes.com/best-baking-apples-according-to-farmers-12020585
“And there’s one apple variety that could qualify as the worst apple for baking, if you ask Shenot: ‘I don’t recommend Red Delicious for anything really. I use them to balance out a tart blend of cider. Otherwise, they’re useless in my opinion.’”
I agree! Ugh! Suitable for the mule though; Ithaca is not picky about his apples. ;)
How To Plant A Cover Crop In Raised Beds – Recharge Your Soil
Did you know that one of the best ways to recharge your raised beds is by planting a cover crop inside of them this fall? Not only is it easy to do – it also happens to be one of the most inexpensive ways to protect and power your soil all at once.
One thing is for sure, the soil in raised beds starts to become quite weak and lifeless after a full season of growing plants. This is especially the case for raised beds that have a limited amount of soil within them.
Unfortunately, if you simply allow the soil to remain, next year’s plants will not have enough nutrients and resources to grow healthy and strong. Although fertilizers and other additives can help, the soil can still lack the structure it needs to promote plant growth. But that is exactly where cover crops can save the day.
https://simplegardenlife.com/cover-crop-raised-beds/
I’m running out of mustard seeds!
“Kale Pesto”———who could have ever dreamed of such deliciousness.
Ok, so I might try the field peas for my 3 raised flower beds, maybe for my Jalapeño Pepper bed, too ... than again, after researching the deer issue, maybe not:
High Attraction: Field peas are a top-tier food source for deer due to their high protein content (up to 30%) and digestibility. Deer will often travel long distances to feed on them, sometimes bypassing other crops like alfalfa.
Management Considerations: Because deer can completely wipe out field pea plots, especially in areas with high deer density, they are often mixed with other crops like oats or rye. This provides immediate forage from the companion plants while giving the slower-establishing peas time to mature.
*******
Maybe a mix of oats & peas ... you can buy them together.
BTW, the deer around here have now munched on not one, but two of my ‘deer resistant’ lantanas. They have also been munching on our old forsythia bush, as high as they can reach. There is PLENTY for them to eat in the fields & woods that does not include our domestic plants, those 4-legged stinkers!!!
“Kale Pesto”———who could have ever dreamed of such deliciousness.”
not me that’s for sure
Such beautiful and unusual flowers, especially for around here (west Michigan). Great to see you!
Hummingbirds gone as of a few days ago. west Michigan
Deer ate all of the hostas this year not just the flowers.
Happy October Fools Day. I woke up to see everything covered with snow this morning. Got every thing in a while back. The day after I took the electric net down the moose cleaned up the garden.
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