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How to Keep a Garden Journal

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Why Keep a Garden Journal?

Garden journals can be as formal or as casual as you like. Your garden journal can be a comprehensive reference tool for you to use in planning future years, or it can be a simple memory book to look back on. This lens is dedicated to resources related to garden journals. Read on for information on the benefits of keeping garden journals as well as handy resources to get you started.

What to Include in a Garden Journal

  • Planting dates for seeds and plants.
  • Source and cost information for seeds and plants.
  • Weather information such as frost dates and rainfall.
  • Plant information such as date emerging in spring, appearance of blooms, and harvest.
  • Date and type of fertilizer used, if applicable.
  • Wildlife observations.
  • Seed packets.
  • Photographs.
  • Garden plan, including any diagrams and future plans.
  • Cost and supplier information.

Types of Garden Journals

Choose a Journal to Fit Your Needs

The options for a garden journal are endless. You can start with a commercial journal, or a notebook and pen.

Here are some types of journals to consider:
-Shoebox: use a shoebox, bag or other storage system to keep pictures, seed packets, or other information.
-Diary: a regular diary can be used as a garden journal to record information about your garden.
-Photo album/scrapbook: can be used to showcase your plants at various stages of growth, as well as something to look back at during the cold months of winter.
-Binder: a simple loose-leaf binder can make a terrific garden journal. This style allows for a great deal of flexibility in arranging pages and adding pages.
-Web blog: use an online journal to share pictures and information about your garden with friends, family and other gardeners.

Garden Journals on Amazon

Want a new garden journal to start with? Here are some great options.
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Resources to Help You Get Started

Great Links

Northern Gardening Journal
A terrific downloadable journal that would be great for a three-ring binder. Includes lots of great template pages for soil preparation, seeds, pest control, harvest, canning and more.
Homestead Garden
A wealth of downloadable pages, including pages for seed starting, plant descriptions, printable garden sayings, garden layout and design, what's blooming, wildlife sightings and more.
University of Illinois--Keeping a Garden Journal with Kids
A great child-friendly garden journal site with downloadable pages to get started.
Lowe's How-To Keep a Garden Journal
Includes downloadable pages and ideas to get you started.

Garden Journal Poll

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Lovely Garden Photos on Flickr

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What do you think?

Did I miss anything? Drop me a line!

  • puerdycat Jan 31, 2011 @ 9:13 pm | delete
    Nice work! I like a rolling, day to day journal, so I'll get the facts in there. Your grid idea could work lots of ways to keep organized. Thanks bunches!
  • miriamjimenez Jan 4, 2011 @ 3:26 pm | delete
    I love gardening but never had yet a garden journal. Great idea for me to start now.
  • Pastiche Dec 21, 2010 @ 10:43 am | delete
    I have a nice garden notebook that I *try* to keep updated. I take hundreds of photos of our garden every month, and I have a big box of seed packets and saved seeds. I'm hoping to be a more organized garden notekeeper this year. I like your ideas for garden journalling.
  • Sylvestermouse Dec 11, 2010 @ 10:28 am | delete
    I definitely keep a gardening journal. I think it is a wonderful idea!
  • EmmaCooper Nov 10, 2010 @ 10:22 am | delete
    A very useful idea :)
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