January is a time for resolutions and one of mine is to do a better job of recording the activity in my gardens. I resolve to visit my gardens at least twice a month with eyes wide open, taking pictures and writing notes in my new garden journal. I hope to learn how to put this on my Facebook page, sharing the changes throughout the year and keeping me accountable.
My first step will be to sketch the gardens on my plat of survey. Kent will help with the measuring and at the same time he will see the beauty bordering the lawn he so lovingly mows.
Then I will enlarge on graph paper each area, giving me room to draw in the trees, shrubs and plants. In my journal, I’ll record the plant list with information added such as, when planted (some were planted years ago), height and width, color, etc. It is a good idea to keep the plant tags and seed packets and note what you liked — or not — about each. I will jot down the weather conditions and maybe keep the receipts for my garden-related purchases, including soil amendments and tools.
My goal is to keep this project fun. I will look at this scheduled time as an opportunity to enjoy my gardens, to consider what needs to be done, to be thankful for my friends who have given me so many plants and to appreciate Kent and Matt for lending their helping hands.
