14 Best Tips to Keep a Garden Journal

How to Save Yourself Time and Money by Keeping Track of Your Container Gardening Habits

Keep a Garden Journal

Keep a garden journal to record anything that interests you and helps you grow a better garden. Many gardeners have no idea how to keep a garden journal and certainly do not recognize the value of this great habit. If you’ve done even a small amount of container gardening, you are aware of the amount of work, not to mention time and expense, that goes into this hobby.

The list of things to do, items to buy, information to keep track of is immense. The paperwork of internet seed orders, receipts of garden plants purchased, info on seed packets, seed catalogs, etc, can take up an entire file drawer. Having one spot where you can keep notes, records, pictures, and info in a convenient place that you can immediately put your hand on is an invaluable time and money saver.

1/ Choosing a Journal Book

A garden journal doesn’t have to be expensive. It can be as simple as a spiral notebook where you jot down your thoughts as the spirit moves you. You may be carrying it outside as a reference, so don’t spend too much money on a fancy leather-bound volume.

My favorite way to keep a garden journal is to use a 3″ 3 ring binder. You may feel this is too large, but believe me, you’ll soon discover you can use even more room if you become a dedicated journaler. If you feel this is too bulky, start with a 2″ binder and transfer to a larger one later on. I often use a smaller binder for current use and transfer pages to a larger binder when I am finished with those pages.

If you want to have a pretty binder, get one with a cover pocket you can slip a picture into. Be sure to use the side pocket to record the year so you can easily find the back journal you want to reference. It’s great fun to be able to reference past years and see the progress your garden has made and also to be made aware of how far you have come in your knowledge and skill as a container gardener. (Click Next)