store all of your garden-related information that will guide you in making future decisions about the plants you choose to grow, how to combat any nutrient deficiencies and pest invasions/disease problems which you encountered, and dreams about future landscape designs for your space. There is no right or wrong way to keeping a gardening journal; it is simply a personal horticultural record of your observations as well as yours hopes and dreams for your garden.
There are as many different formats or styles of journals to choose from as there are gardeners. Based on your personal preferences, you could simply use a blank hard-cover composition book, a spiral notebook, a graph paper notebook, a scrap book, a three-ring binder with plastic dividers and pockets for seeds, a custom designed disc-bound notebook or even a digital format (there are many apps to try!). Whatever system you select, make sure it is easy and convenient for you to use.
The contents of your garden journal will depend upon what you find interesting or useful in your garden; it can be a detailed scientific collection of information, a creative expression of the beauty in your garden or anything in between. The scientific gardener could include charts and graphs to record temperatures and fertilization schedules. The artistic gardener could add pressed flowers or leaves and artwork. There are several recommended categories that ought to be included in your garden journal. Recording your hardiness zone and the first and last frost dates are critical to planting the right plants at the right time in the right places.
There are as many different formats or styles of journals to choose from as there are gardeners. Based on your personal preferences, you could simply use a blank hard-cover composition book, a spiral notebook, a graph paper notebook, a scrap book, a three-ring binder with plastic dividers and pockets for seeds, a custom designed disc-bound notebook or even a digital format (there are many apps to try!). Whatever system you select, make sure it is easy and convenient for you to use.
The contents of your garden journal will depend upon what you find interesting or useful in your garden; it can be a detailed scientific collection of information, a creative expression of the beauty in your garden or anything in between. The scientific gardener could include charts and graphs to record temperatures and fertilization schedules. The artistic gardener could add pressed flowers or leaves and artwork. There are several recommended categories that ought to be included in your garden journal. Recording your hardiness zone and the first and last frost dates are critical to planting the right plants at the right time in the right places.
Recording the dates of direct sowing, transplanting, blooming, and harvesting times will also be quite useful. Creating a map will help you remember the varieties of plants you planted and their locations. Some other suggested topics you may want to include are the sunlight patterns during the growing season, unusual weather and temperatures patterns with dates to help you determine best planting times, a maintenance and fertilizing schedule, any diseases or pests your plants encountered along with the most effective treatments, the soil quality, seed inventory lists, and your goals for the next year.
Keeping a garden journal will help you celebrate your successes, learn from your mistakes, and be prepared to deal effectively with gardening issues. By simply observing and recording the dynamics of life in your garden, you will create a powerful resource for future successes in your gardening journey.
