The Practical Journal
Whether you have sprawling gardens, a small vegetable bed or just a lawn and some shrubs, journaling can save you time, money and aggravation. It doesn't have to be fancy, it could be typed, kept on a computer, some scribe on a calender or in a notebook but to be of any use there are things you will want to include no matter how it's kept.
The When: Date everything! This will save you tons of time and money in years to come. Jot down things like when the first lawn mow of the season was, when shrubs and trees leaf out, when perennials pop out of the ground. You'll be prepared the following year with the mower or it may save you from ripping out a shrub in May you think is dead when it doesn't leaf out until June.
The What: Record what you plant and where and what products you use. Rip the tags from the plants and staple or clip them in the journal and write down next to it when and where it was planted. Write down the names of fertilizers and products you use and how they perform. Then, if a certain plant thrives, you'll have no problem finding the name if you want to buy more or if a particular plant is having a problem, you'll have quick and easy access to the name to find a solution.
The How Much: This is by far the best and easiest way to save money in the garden. Record how much compost you use, how much fertilizer, how much mulch. Make notes about how much you think you will need in the following year. If you bought 10 bags of mulch and only needed 5...unless you have a super memory, journaling is really the only way you will remember that next year.
The Inspirational Journal
My journal is a mixture of the practical and inspirational and it's messy! Next to garden tags its sprinkled with thoughts about how gardening affected me, helped me or hurt me... whatever it may have been, how it mirrored life for me. It's also filled with magazine photos, ideas and plans for the future...but most of all it records a journey, not to a place but to a state of mind.
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