Start a garden journal in January, and you'll garden better for years
By Mary Robson
When and how gardeners honor the New Year depends on personal tendencies — for some of us, the equinoxes of March and September seem more "new" than Jan. 1.
But by social habit and conditioning, we toss our old calendars and start afresh when the year's numerals turn over. Does this mean we revive our garden journaling? Perhaps someone gave you a crisp, clean garden notebook, or a new batch of colored pencils ... or a digital camera. How can we efficiently gather gardening information with a new year and new tools?
If we gardened briefly — an intense spell in summer, then an end — garden journals would be no help at all. A quick gardening experience resembles a fad, like taking up crossword puzzles or gin rummy and then tiring of the adventure. Garden records exist to carry us across the flow of time, considering change and growth over years and even decades.
What's useful to keep?
Weather records. If I falter on other elements, I'm faithful about weather, especially extreme events. Weather gives us clues about plant behavior; the below-freezing week this month might reduce shrub buds and flowers when spring comes. Looking back, you can sleuth out the cause.
These quick observations aren't intended to add up to climate conclusions, but rather to link plant growth or problems to specific hot, cold, damp or dry days. (Benjamin Franklin famously wrote, "Some of us are weatherwise, some are otherwise!")
The plant morgue. I also record plants that expire. That's how I discovered that my newly planted pines on slopes weren't receiving enough water. One of them turned into a crispy critter practically overnight last July.
Garden maps. Freehand illustrations of what went where, and when. These can get pretty impressionistic, but they are more help than my muddle of plant tags in a drawer.
I like to indicate location for plants that emerge late. This recollection keeps me from planting on top of an Oriental lily or elegant hosta. They stay underground longer and appear to be creating new planting space. But alas, forking up half an expensive lily does not improve the gardening day.
When did the plant flower or fruit? I use a simple grid calendar to indicate "sarcococca blooming" or "harvested first Stupice tomato." If you do record events for more than one year, patterns will begin to fascinate. My snowdrops bloomed for Jan. 1, 2005, but now show bare nubs only, with no bloom for this New Year's Day. Cold spells retard bulbs. But the opposite is that a cool spring prolongs our daffodil and tulip show.
Bird visitors. My birding log overlaps with the garden journal. Thanksgiving Day 2005 found one Anna's hummingbird working over the rosemary flowers. I refreshed the feeder, but that bird has flown.
Specific activities. When did I mulch the lower terrace last? When did I lime the vegetable area? Since I have trouble remembering my only son's cellphone number, I know that writing it all down will give me information rather than vague ponderings.
No doubt you'll find your own personal necessities; some gardeners enjoy keeping purchase and cost records. Not me, boy oh boy. Sketches or photos add to the fun and keep our memories green. Two years of garden records will help; five years fills with treasures.
Garden expert Mary Robson is a retired area horticulture agent for Washington State University/King County Cooperative Extension. Her e-mail is marysophia@olympus.net.
When and how gardeners honor the New Year depends on personal tendencies — for some of us, the equinoxes of March and September seem more "new" than Jan. 1.
But by social habit and conditioning, we toss our old calendars and start afresh when the year's numerals turn over. Does this mean we revive our garden journaling? Perhaps someone gave you a crisp, clean garden notebook, or a new batch of colored pencils ... or a digital camera. How can we efficiently gather gardening information with a new year and new tools?
If we gardened briefly — an intense spell in summer, then an end — garden journals would be no help at all. A quick gardening experience resembles a fad, like taking up crossword puzzles or gin rummy and then tiring of the adventure. Garden records exist to carry us across the flow of time, considering change and growth over years and even decades.
What's useful to keep?
Weather records. If I falter on other elements, I'm faithful about weather, especially extreme events. Weather gives us clues about plant behavior; the below-freezing week this month might reduce shrub buds and flowers when spring comes. Looking back, you can sleuth out the cause.
These quick observations aren't intended to add up to climate conclusions, but rather to link plant growth or problems to specific hot, cold, damp or dry days. (Benjamin Franklin famously wrote, "Some of us are weatherwise, some are otherwise!")
The plant morgue. I also record plants that expire. That's how I discovered that my newly planted pines on slopes weren't receiving enough water. One of them turned into a crispy critter practically overnight last July.
Garden maps. Freehand illustrations of what went where, and when. These can get pretty impressionistic, but they are more help than my muddle of plant tags in a drawer.
I like to indicate location for plants that emerge late. This recollection keeps me from planting on top of an Oriental lily or elegant hosta. They stay underground longer and appear to be creating new planting space. But alas, forking up half an expensive lily does not improve the gardening day.
When did the plant flower or fruit? I use a simple grid calendar to indicate "sarcococca blooming" or "harvested first Stupice tomato." If you do record events for more than one year, patterns will begin to fascinate. My snowdrops bloomed for Jan. 1, 2005, but now show bare nubs only, with no bloom for this New Year's Day. Cold spells retard bulbs. But the opposite is that a cool spring prolongs our daffodil and tulip show.
Bird visitors. My birding log overlaps with the garden journal. Thanksgiving Day 2005 found one Anna's hummingbird working over the rosemary flowers. I refreshed the feeder, but that bird has flown.
Specific activities. When did I mulch the lower terrace last? When did I lime the vegetable area? Since I have trouble remembering my only son's cellphone number, I know that writing it all down will give me information rather than vague ponderings.
No doubt you'll find your own personal necessities; some gardeners enjoy keeping purchase and cost records. Not me, boy oh boy. Sketches or photos add to the fun and keep our memories green. Two years of garden records will help; five years fills with treasures.
Garden expert Mary Robson is a retired area horticulture agent for Washington State University/King County Cooperative Extension. Her e-mail is marysophia@olympus.net.
posted by blogger at
Thursday, December 29, 2005
