I do much like Cayuga, that is I keep my notes on the computer. Since I grow all my flowers (well almost all) from seed, I keep notes on germination times, growth rates, any problems encountered, etc. At the end of each season I add to those same notes, indicating my likes and dislikes of each plant as observed during their growing and blooming period.
I pretty much depend on photos and the pots the plants come in (I save them all) to help me remember whats what in my gardens. Im horrible at keeping journals and whatnot.
It is very addicting to say the least! But yes, I have found many fabulous gardens to inspire me, as well as many other things of interest.
I also have tried to make notes. And then have to look at pictures ones i have taken. What didn't do good.I do have list what NOT to plant again and WHY.
I to am bad at keeping notes. The one thing I do, do it to make a map of what I planted where so next year I don't plant the same thing in the same area. The only notes I make are what I am suppose to be doing on what day. Them paste them to my forehead so I don't forget.
Tooty, I paste my "to do" list on my forehead, and then go stand in front of my husband. He often gets the hint . . . .
I have a notebook I started back in 1978.For many years there is a list of every seed I ordered & lots of notes when they were planted,transplanted,etc.Lots of weather charts I clipped from newspaper.Recipes for different soil mixtures & homemade pest control.The last entry was in 2005,some daylilies I got in a swap.I sure wish I had kept it up. Doris
Good post as i was considering a journal for this year. Just out of interest those that do have journals do you use them to plan forward for the following year? my current system is an online one. I use a garden planner, with the garden laid out in it. and typically towards the end of the season i take half a day and sit in the garden and put notes one what worked and what didn't. Then i start to plan the following years crop.
Danjensen--what is your online system? I don't keep a journal, I keep a chart and I do find it helpful in planning for the next year, but a map would be better. I have tried but really never succeeded with a map for some reason....
Throughout the year we have ideas, hear of a new or see something we like, a log or journal can be a central repository for these morsels of information. Marking information with different colored highlighters serve as an additional way to locate facts,statistics, instructions and ideas. Reminders for the following year, when you did something or how an idea played out, the ways to use a log/journal/notebook are endless. Often I use a series of squiggly lines as symbols to locate items. I have charts that keep track of the quantities of certain flowers year by year. First frog, first crocus, first daffodil can be used each year as indicators for when the season starts. Those are some of what is in my log. If I opened it up there would be a flood of ideas, facts, reminders and designs. Jerry
i use grow veg.com, its going to be the third year i have used it for the veg garden. i can look back on previous years. and makes it really easy for me to plan next years garden. you can see it here http://www.growveg.com/garden-plan.aspx?p=182748 better for garden planning i think than journaling.
Dan, I use my journal to plan--even paste empty seed packs into it to remind me of varieties that do well and where I got them. It helps also to keep the crop rotation going. In September I know where the potatoes were planted, but by March, I'm scratching my head and wondering. That's when I go to my journal and find out. I can also check on my soil fertility be analyzing the muddy fingerprints on the pages!
