I'm keeping my winter sowing records on an excel sheet. I can add as many categories as I like, sort immediately for things such as date sown, date planted, bed location, etc. I'm going to add the rest of my plants eventually as well.

I'm still trying to get the hang of this computer, as I've said before I hadn't touched a computer until last fall. Still making lots of mistakes, hitting wrong keys and hoping I'm not doing anything to offend anyone while sorting this all out. My DH has set up a data base for me to enter all my plants. I'm gradually adding all the plants I have or had in this little gem. The ones I no longer have I put a * beside, the information is still there so I can look it up, can't remember as much as I use to, Oh the golden years. Columns are, botanical name, common name, date purchased and comments. Now as long as I can remember to back it up it's going to be better than the journal I've been keeping, the one I can never find when I want it.

A......

Well, this is only personal experience and preference so it might not be much value to you, natalie.

Personally, I prefer my garden journal.....which is just a hardcover, lined paper book. I have databases and computer files and programs galore, but when it comes right down to it........it's about sitting quietly, just reflecting and writing about what I've accomplished, what's been planted, what's worked or not, the birds that visit, the rain that falls, the friends that visit. I know, it sounds really corny and simplistic, but I think because I work in the scientific field, I really prefer this "non-scientific" method. It helps to ground me and makes me reflect on what's important.

NO, it's not the most effiecient or easy way to keep records, but there is nothing quite so satisfying as frittering away a snowy afternoon as trying to find "that entry" from two years ago about the raspberries............and I get to relive my kids growing up, visits from friends, past world events, just meanderings of my (not always sane) mind.

In reality, the computer programs are great too. I use excel all the time. But I wouldn't trade my journal for the world. And in the end, it IS the most useful garden tool I own.

just my 2 cents........:)
Balsam

I had a nice hardcover note pad. But I mistakenly left it outside . . . it rained . . . sat in a mud puddle . . . most of the "marker" ink ran together and I lost almost all entries, except those done in "regular" ink. Learn from my mistakes . . .

Thank you all!
Balsam, I do the same thing - expressing my feelings in my garden journal. Doing it online though. Reading the old entries brings back memories, and I do treasure it greatly.

I was thinking of starting another online journal with just records of all I plant, and maybe dividing it in 4 sections (4 areas of my garden). Because when I try to find some info in my reg. journal, it takes a long time.
Excel program sounds like a smart idea. I will ask my computer-wiz son to teach me how to do it.

Gottagarden, sorry about your journal... Good lesson to all.

~Natalie

I am looking to put in one of those hand painted mailboxes to keep my much used and oft forgotten hat,glaves,snips and journal,That should keep it dry and be a reminder ro write in it!

I love the handpainted mailbox idea!
I'm probably of no help, I write everything in a spiral notebook labeled, "Garden Stuff." I write only in pencil, though, no liquid ink or marker. My children call me a dinosaur at least once a week. What can I say?
Rett

Another dinosaur reporting in. I've tried Excel spreadsheets and various other applications, figuring they're sortable, searchable and so on, but keep coming back to pencil and paper ... for the same reasons that Balsam stated to beautifully.

My daughter bought me a lovely garden journal, but through trial and error, I found that what works best for me is actually a desk-style weekly/monthly calendar. Facing pages at the beginning of each month show the entire month on the left and a page for notes on the right. Subsequent pages show a week at a time, with a block for each day and one for notes. Not as much room for literary expression, but it does make it easy to jump ahead and post reminders, as well as make notes as to what's currently happening in the garden.

I also have two binders for storing the plant tags (in sheet protectors) and interesting articles and other garden-related information I've found.

Diane

Hi Balsam: I am keeping records using my power point. I can keep inserting new pages. I just copy pictures of the plants I have and paste it onto the page. Then I copy any notes I find on that particular plant.I also use my digital camera and take pictures of the seedlings as they are coming along. At the bottom of the page is a place to put notes so this is were I keep a diary on how the plant is doing. I also keep pages on useful garden tips etc. Its working pretty neat. Ann

For a couple of years I have been buying one of those illustrated desk calendars with each week on a separate page on the right, and a picture -- painting or garden photo -- on the left. There is enough room to jot down each day's activities, and list varieties planted. Extra pages in the back can be used to make lists. This is working very well for me.

Rosefolly

I've tried keeping a special garden diary but forget to write in it. Maybe I'll remember now that I've read your postings. There is something satisfying about writing instead of typing. Maybe I just need to lay that journal out on my garden worktable (in the basement) so I'll remember.

Otherwise, I'm pretty pitiful. Keep all my plant tags from the growers in a basket so if I really am motivated to remember a variety of something I have to sort through that basket. Needless to say, it doesn't happen very often.

bloominganne

Some really good ideas here! Ann I like the power point idea. And the mailbox idea, goldenpond. I have an orange crate that I use for a shelf on my verandah. I usually keep my journal here during gardening season, but sometimes a good rainstorm will get things pretty wet. I'm going to keep an eye out for an old mailbox:)

I agree that journaling is a personal thing. Whatever works best for you is what you should do. I just like the act of sitting down and actually writing......something we don't do much anymore it seems. I like to be able to read back over 7 or 8 years of "thoughts and facts". I also keep garden photo albums so I have visual reminders of things too.

Now if it would just STOP SNOWING so I could enter something besides "cold, snowy, and depressing"............:(

Balsam--speaking of garden photo albums . . . something I do that I didn't think to mention earlier. I actually make garden scrapbooks. I buy one of the smaller scrapbooks, like 8x8, and make scrapbook pages (which I journal on) with photographs of all the major projects we've done in the yard or a particular plant/rose that was really pretty. I've also scrapbooked the negative stuff, too, like the damage done by a tornado that touched down about 2 miles away. (Tore the tops off of three of my trees and broke the fence AND the trellis.) The only problem with the scrapbook idea is that it doesn't detail every plant. I make probably 10 to 15 scrapbook pages per year. So, hardly enough to even cover every rose! But it is still enough to get a feel for my garden or the landscaping for that year. (It's neat to go back and see how a plant or bush has grown etc.) I completely forgot this, until Balsam mentioned the photos.
Rett

I keep an Excel workbook with a worksheet for each garden bed. I use about the same column headings as Aftermidnight mentioned. I also have a sheet for Annuals, Waiting To Be Planted and of course....WANT LIST. The trick is to keep it updated.

Pam

I've tried the journal thing...it has been a frightfully long time since I wrote anything in there. And it makes me feel pretentious.

A refuse to use Excel for anything. Just me. I'm having a lifetime math and filing snit. Excel has intruded itself on me a couple of times at work and I resent it mightily. Like I said...just me.

Besides, I utterly OBSESS about every plant I put in the ground. I hover and agonize. I could walk through my entire yard (not small) with a blindfold on in the dark and I'd still know where every little thing is, when I planted it and how it has done all its little life. Yeah. O.K. That is probably clinical.

Let's see...where did I put the journal thingie??

I'm glad this post came up, because I was just thinking of the subject. I can't tell you how many notebooks and binders I have laying around the house that were intended for this or that, but only have one used page in them. On the other hand, the thought of typing a garden journal entry on my keyboard is unappealing.

I do make a lot of Word files out of various Garden Web posts, and have quite a collection of them. I prefer copying and pasting under a topic instead of using the clippings option, because I like to arrange the information as I see fit, and often use a combination of several different forums on the same page.

But as for my daily observations, I haven't come up with a good solution for that yet. I mark the kitchen calender with seed planting dates, to keep an eye on germination, but that is as organized as I've gotten.

I like Diane's desktop calender idea; maybe that is a good compromise between the kitchen calender and the empty journals. Maybe a little pocket diary would be even better; I could take it out to the garden with me, and jot down stuff as it occurs to me. Now, that would be useful.

Does anyone keep a daily record of temperature and weather? Have you actually used the information you've recorded?

Records? Ah....maybe I should do that. ;-)

Could one of you share your files? I had no idea that I should keep records, too? Of course, most days it's great if I'm not eating dinner out of the pot I cook it in!
(Seriously)

andi - that's funny :) eating out of the pot............

boondoggle - yes, I keep track of temperature and precipitation on an almost daily basis. And I do actually use the information - I refer back to the previous season(s) quite frequently, in fact. This year, for instance, we are way up in precipitation (snow and rain) for the month but much slower to warm up than last year. My crocus just bloomed this weekend. Last year they were about two weeks earlier.

I guess I just like keeping records and looking at "facts". That might be clinical, as well! :)

Lots of good ideas. I've started copying photos into MS Visio (a drawing program) so that I can see color schemes together in my planning. I label each file with the name of the section of garden. I've started including the size of the plant and anything important such as "likes moist soil" or "cut back in early spring". This is the first time that I've gone to this much trouble, so I can't say for sure if it will be useful in a year!