Tuesday, March 31, 2009

A Gardening Journal. Well worth the time.

Since I was around 10 years old I have wanted a garden. I absorbed everything in my mothers Better Homes and Gardens magazines and dreamed of what flowers I would grow. I had visions of hollyhocks and dahlias, petunias and beautiful mop head hydrangeas. I fantasized about white picket fences and wisteria covered arbors.
Now that I am 25 (going on 26 on April 9Th) and I have my own house I am finally able to satisfy my inner gardener. Much to my husbands consternation I have decided to do much more than most people do in one year especially since I am a beginner gardener at best. My husband has given up trying to convince me that "I have enough seeds." LOL "I will never have enough seeds" and I laugh maniacally.
But thanks to the Internet, the library, and fellow gardeners in the family I am feeling more that able to accomplish everything I have planned and I do mean PLANNED. Last year I didn't plan what I wanted to do and now this year I am moving EVERYTHING I DID! ugh..

So in pursuit of the ideal garden. I have planned everything. No more moving peonies for me. (Did I mention that they don't like to be moved?)

A little while ago I found a checklist for the year so each month I know what to do. Well for January one of the tasks was to create a garden journal. And this made perfect sense to me because well.. the notes I had were erratic at best. So I went through and alphabetized and categorized my seeds, bulbs, shrubs and roses. making an index. every bit of info I found on each plant that was in my possession goes into that journal. Now all I have to do is open that book and I know everything about it. Height, width, shade or sun?, how much water? fertilizer?

Needless to say this endeavor took three days. and every time I add a plant, a bulb, or a seed it has to go in there. But let me tell you! It is SO WORTH IT! convenience! ya! And an added bonus is that with these last weeks before we (zone 7) can move plants outside, I have a little burst of Spring right on my coffee table. Every couple of days.. when I am yearning for Spring so much that I can feel it, I pick up my little homemade gardening journal and look at every picture and envision it in my garden.
Cover of my beautiful Journal!


Roses!!

Shrubs!

Gotta love delphiniums!

Bulbs!

____________________________

Proverbs 31

30Charm is deceitful and beauty is vain,

But a woman who fears the LORD, she

shall be praised.

2 comments:

Tina said...

Wonderful! Absolutely wonderful!! Let me know everything you find out about roses cause when we do get a house that's exactly what I plan on growing. Lots and lots of roses.

Dirt Princess said...

I think a journal is the best way to go! I started one last year (I have pics of mine http://northmobilegardensociety.blogspot.com/2009/02/garden-journal.html

I write down EVERYTHING! When I planted this, when I planted that, when it bloomed. I keep plans of my beds so I know where I planted what. It is GREAT to have...its like my little garden Bible :)