Organize Your Garden with a Garden Journal and Plant Markers
As a truly novice gardener, I only began keeping a garden journal last year. I have a 3-ring binder with blank paper in it just to have a spot to put all the garden-related information I was accumulating. Last year, I:
- drew a very rough (not to scale) diagram of my gardening spaces, where I had planted various plants and the dates I planted them;
- pasted in copies of the seed packets, planting tags from purchased plants and sales receipts so that I knew the names of all the plants I was using;
- wrote notes when anything significant happened, such as something bloomed or died; and
- took photos throughout the year to document my plantings and any growth (which are still on the computer and not in the journal itself).
My system is still very rough and, truthfully, a bit disorganized.
I wanted to know what type of records professional gardeners keep for their plantings. Fortunately, the web is chock-full of examples. It seems that the main types of information good gardeners need are:
- detailed planting diagrams (usually drawn to scale)
- detailed seed-starting and transplanting logs
- soil amendment and fertilizer logs
- bloom logs (to document what in the garden blooms when)
- pruning logs
- detailed plant pest and disease-management logs
- for food crops, yield and harvest logs
- documentation on hardscaping structures, such as materials used to build a deck or patio and the maintenance schedule required
- To Do lists by month
Proficient gardeners appear to use their garden journals primarily to discern the very best techniques. The journal documents all the experiments the gardener has done and, over time, helps the gardener save time by simplifying just to what works well. A garden journal has also been suggested as a wonderful way to add value to your home in the event you ever need to sell. The monthly yard and landscaping to-do list alone would be a huge gift for any new homeowner to receive.
If you want to get really detailed on your garden, there are many free garden journal templates available for download to get you started.
- My Garden Journal from Homestead Harvest
- Garden Journal Templates from gardensandcrafts.com
- Gardening Quick-n-Easy journal
- Arbico Organics garden journal
- A list of various methods to keep a garden journal, including alternatives to the binder method, from HMK Consultants
- A child-oriented garden journal template from University of Illinois Extension
I donโt know that I am ready yet for the level of detail in these sample journals but they are nice guides to have. My goal this year is to do a better job putting in photos of my garden into my existing journal and updating my notes.
In addition to the garden journal, however, most gardeners also have a backup plant documentation system in the form of plant markers put in the ground where the plants are. There are many ways to create plant markers. The simplest is to use the plastic tags that come with purchased potted plants. If your plant doesnโt come with these tags attached, it is easy to make your own from materials such as:
| tongue depressors or craft sticks marked with permanent markers | |
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purchased aluminum plant tags that you can etch yourself with a pen or other semi-sharp object |
| plastic plant tags or cut pieces of old plastic mini-blinds marked with permanent markers | |
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rocks (marked with permanent markers or outdoor paint) |
| mold-your-own bricks or stepping stones with the plant names on them |
Do you keep records on your own gardening or landscaping efforts? What methods do you use? Please share in the comments.
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