Keeping a garden journal

By Mary Jo Baur


Over the many years that I have been gardening, I have made a habit of keeping some sort of written record about what I've planted, when and where.  As you extend your gardens, you may think you'll remember, or that the plant ID stick will remind you, but that doesn't always happen.  The plant sticks break or get lost, and with perennials that die back to the ground as part of their natural life cycle, you may not remember where they were.  Your gardening journal doesn't have to be anything fancy.  I used to record information in a plain spiral notebook.  Some 15 or so years ago I bought a lovely garden book with different sections and illustrations.  What I have found is that I didn't always like their headings and crossed them out and made my own anyway.  So if you have just a plain journal, it will probably serve you well.

Sometimes it's hard to force yourself to write things down.  After a long afternoon of planting in the spring, the last thing you want to do is record what you just did, but it really is the best time to do it.  The information is fresh in your mind, and often I add the seed packet or plant label, just stick it between the pages.  I find it is especially important to write down what tulip or daffodil bulbs you have planted in the fall, so you can identify them when they come up in your spring garden.  When I have a chance, I like to make a note or two about which plants thrived, and perhaps which ones didn't make it through the winter.  If you can keep all this data in one place, it will will make things easier in the long run.  I've had perennials that came up the next year, but did not appear two years later.  If that happens, I learn what not to spend my money on in the future.  I really depend on reliable plants that have staying power in my particular gardens.  If you start to keep a log or journal about your plantings, you will get a sense of satisfaction knowing what works for you.