Gardening Journals

Scientists are often fond of saying, "If you don't write it down, it didn't happen." While I don't keep exhaustive records of the goings-on in my garden, I do see the usefulness in keeping a gardener's journal of some sort. In fact, it was my own journal that spawned this column so many years ago. I have always loved to share my garden with others and combining my writing profession with this led to a regular column. I figured people could learn from my trials and tribulations. My journal became my fact and reference book while writing this column and so it still remains.

Say what?

Your journal can be any size, any shape and use any type of paper or computer bits. As with most things in life the form of the journal is nothing but the function is everything. It can be a nice blank book from the stationary store, loose-leaf paper in a 3-ring binder or scraps of paper from old seed packets. It truly doesn't matter. It is the information inside that is important.

Entries in your journal can range from the mundane to the miraculous. The act of writing down your thoughts helps to make the memories of your garden indelible. It also makes an excellent reference book when you can't remember where you planted the daffodils 2 years ago. Are you going to end up digging them up when you go to plant the new tree?

There is an old saw that says "Wood warms you twice. Once when you cut it and once when you burn it." The memories of your garden, when written in your journal, do the same.

Journals are also a great place to sketch out your ideas. Maybe there is a bed that needs reconfigured, trees that need to be pruned or a garden bench you just have to have. When we can't get into the garden itself sometimes planning can sustain us.

Gardening in our minds

A gardening journal can be a wonderful place to retire when heat, cold or weariness keep us at a distance from our gardens. In this busy world business and travel keep us away from our gardens more than we like. On your next long flight why not take your journal with you. You can use it to work out your grand plans instead of watching the insipid movie. Perhaps the salad would taste better as you remember the tomatoes from your own garden. Perhaps the coach seats won't seem so small if you are thinking of the bench in your own garden.

Through the years

Over time your journal will become an important source of information. Does it seem the hibiscus are lagging this year? You can check back through your journal and see when they started blooming last year, or the year before. Some gardeners even go so far as to record rainfall amounts and high/low temperatures for each day.

There is really only one rule about keeping a garden journal; write about whatever interests you. I know many people who would never keep a journal under normal circumstances but find themselves deeply engaged when gardening is their topic.

Don't worry about your journal being filled with sparkling wit and tart banter. No one else is going to read it. Journals are meant for their owner. It is a place to wallow in your disappointments and revel in your successes in the garden, and otherwise.

Douglas E. Welch is a freelance writer and comptuer consultant based in Van Nuys, California.
He can be reached at douglas@welchwrite.com or via his web pages at www.welchwrite.com.