• Do you like to read gardening books?  A great idea for any gardener would be to start your own book of sorts.  I suggest that you start a “Gardening Journal”.  Whether you garden for food, beauty, or even hire others to do your gardening work for you, keeping a journal is a great way to help you to make the most of your efforts. 
• A gardening journal can help you keep track of what you have done and when you have done it.  This kind of record could be invaluable when planning or remembering what to do in upcoming years.  Not only can you keep track of “what” and “when”, but many other ideas could be incorporated into this journal.  The following is a list of possible inclusions that you may want to enter into your book.

·        A calendar – enter what you did on what date.  Notes along with these can remind you of such things as “Next year, I think I should do this a couple weeks earlier”

·        Layout and Design

·        Seed Starting record – what was used – successes and failures

·        Catalog wish list

·        Fertilizers / pesticides used with dates, application rates, results

·        Planting dates, harvest dates, yields

·        Money spent

·        Watering done – irrigation settings

·        Wildlife sightings

·        Clipped articles of interest to you

·        Garden chore lists – such as when to prune which plants & when to use fertilizers

·        Keep pages for writing your thoughts for future reference:  This idea is useful in many ways.  “I’d like to have more scent near the screen porch”,  “There isn’t anything in bloom at this time in my perennial bed”,  “The hosta will need to be divided next year”,  “Something should be done to correct ice buildup near the back door over winter”,   etc….

• If you have never considered keeping a gardening journal, you may find it to be an enjoyable and rewarding experience.  From year to year, you will most likely find it to be an important tool in managing your property.  It can save you from many repeated mistakes and missed opportunities.
• Since landscaping is a substantial investment of time and money, it is wise to make sure that you enjoy it as much as possible.  Keeping track of your garden in this manner will help to ensure that your plants do not get overgrown, that your garden is as beautiful as it can be, and that you do not spend unneeded money, etc.
• It is our intention on this website to have regularly posted articles on “gardening tips” that will relate to the “gardening journal” idea.  Please check back and look at these postings for further ideas.  We hope you enjoy them and find them to be useful.  
• Happy Gardening!