Keeping a gardening journal is one of those things that we start enthusiastically, but always let fall by the wayside. Once things start growing, it's hard to remember to take notes. Here's an easy method for keeping track of what you planted and where you planted it. It won't necessarily answer all you questions, but you will at least know where and when you put in certain plants that you want to keep tabs on - information that comes in really handy when you lose a plant.
Here's what you'll need to get your gardening journal started:
- 3-Ring Binder: Any type of binder will do. If you plan on taking it into the garden, a vinyl binder is your best bet. I've chosen a binder that zips closed, so that I can slip things into it in a hurry and not worry about them falling out. It's also nice to have a cover that allows you to slide in a photo of your garden or a favorite plant or container.
- Plastic Photo Sleeves: The plastic sheets are relatively inexpensive and available in discount and craft stores. Sleeves sized-for baseball cards are available in bulk, but they're a little small for most seed packets. Get them in assorted sized pockets, for tags, seed packets and photos.
- Blank Pages: Keep some black pages in the back of your journal for additional notes. If you make notes elsewhere, you can always tuck them into a sleeve.
- Permanent Markers - At least one fine point.
- Plant Tags and Seed Packets - collected as you plant
- Calender - More on this later
- Photos of Your Garden
