Dear friends,
It’s been a funny growing season in our Colorado garden this year. We had a snowy spring, a particularly late hard frost, two serious hail storms, and six weeks of mostly hot, dry days. This year I’ve discovered which plants in our yard and garden are truly hardy.
Because every growing season is unpredictable, I love jotting notes in a garden journal. My notes help me remember so many gardening details I might otherwise forget, and I find it helpful keep all my various gardening experiences and ideas in one place.
Here are some of the things I like to track:
1. Notes on plants and seeds I want to try.
“Now that the four o’clocks are established, I’d like to plant another late-in-the-day bloomer in the side garden like moonflower, evening primrose or flowering tobacco.”
2. Important dates, like the first and last frosts, and when various bugs arrive. I also keep track of each season’s first hummingbird sighting, so we can get the feeders ready with homemade hummingbird food for their arrival.
“Good thing we didn’t plant on Mother’s Day 2017. We had wet, heavy snow on May 19, and below-freezing temperatures the nights of May 18 – 20. Lost most of the lilac, cherry and redbud blossoms, but otherwise okay.”
3. Sketches of garden layouts and planting ideas. Here’s an example:
4. Combinations of plants for containers.
“Sweet potato vine looks so pretty with hot pink petunias and deep blue lobelia.”
5. The places where I want to remember to plant bulbs this fall.
“The daffodils under the mail box haven’t come up for the past two years. Dig down and see if the bulbs need dividing? Add bone meal to the soil? Or maybe try a later variety like Golden Ducat or Gigantic Star.”
6. Dates when I have the trees and shrubs maintained.
“Had the locust tree pruned this June. Josh says it won’t need attention again for five years. Cherry trees need to be trimmed next year.”
7. Flowers that are doing well in other gardens in our neighborhood, and the dates I see them blooming.
“Salvia and bluebells seem to be thriving in the neighbor’s garden first week of July, despite the heat.”
How About You?
Do you keep a gardening journal or record of some kind? What kinds of things do you write about? How has the most recent gardening season been for you? Drop a comment below!
Eliza Cross is the creator of Happy Simple Living, where she shares ideas to help busy people simplify cooking, gardening, holidays, home, and money. She is also the award-winning author of 17 cookbooks, including Small Bites and 101 Things To Do With Bacon.
