Garden journals.

[whoknewthat]

I'm just getting into gardening.

Have inherited the start of a good garden with our new house.

I need a way of recording what plants I have, how to care for them etc. along with ideas for other plants I would like to add.

Do people actually use gardening journals or is it destined to go the way of the baby book

I have a five year book which lists week by week but in all fairness I tend to use it sporadically.

I find an excels preadsheet and a planting plan (map) much easier. The map shows me what plants are where and their relartive size. The spreadsheet (one colums per month) gives me the colour and when it is in flower.

I have a week-to-view pocket diary from 2000 that I didn't use, until last year I started recording everything (except exact locations - I fall down a bit on that!!). I think it will last me about four years, which will be about right to see how things do over a few seasons. I keep meaning to count ahead some weeks when I plant veg to write in pencil the timings or predictions when they will need more feeding and when they should crop.

I will treat myself to this when I've finished my little diary...

Thanks for that.

Did you just draw your planting plan freehand or did you do it on a computer (excel, special programme?).

I do love a good spreadsheet. Do you also put on when to feed/prune/plant do other stuff?

planting plan is done freehand (as my lawn is curved and so are the borders) borders and yes you can incorporate a symbol for pruning in the relevant months if you wish; I do this for some of my clients. I still include an extra column at the end with more detailed care notes, eg prune after flowering. So eg a Mahonia could be pruned in March or April, depending on when it has finished flowering and whether the weather is favourable.

I am not a huge fan of computer software for plants, simply because there are so many varieties for each plant, ie salvias can range from 30cm height to 1m, same for spread.

I think a spreadsheet can help a garden novice to plan their tasks as you can look up what is done when and note it. Youn still need to make allowances for seasonal variations in weather but it will allow you to prune at optimal time, etc.

Some gardeners make good money just by advising their clients when to prune and colour code their shrubs for them!

Excellent. I do love a good spreadsheet.

Actually I would love a gardener to come round and just tell me what to do. I'm a complete novice but don't want to pay someone to do it for me, just want someone to teach me.

Books and websites etc just make me very confused

If a gardener comes round to teach you, they are actually working and should be paid, I think. Or they could be spending their time working in someone else's garden.

Are you really expecting be getting personalised recommendations for you and your garden by preferably a qualified and experienced gardener for free?

With all respect, I think you must be confused by more than books and websites.

No no no Bienchen, that came out wrong

What I meant was ... I don't want to pay someone to do my garden, I want to pay someone to teach me how to do my garden.

Wouldn't expect them to do it for nowt obviously!

I have a lined notepad. I currently put a month for every two pages, with the month heading on the top left. I write what has gone in and what I have done in the garden that month on the left hand side. The right hand side is more for jotting down ideas about the garden, things I want to research or comments on what is looking good or bad.

I can then make notes of things I need to remember to do under the appropriate month so i remember when I get there. I think it works well for me.

Waste of time IMO. I've never used one

and i hate to say it but experience teaches you gardening - I've got loads of allotment and veg books but the thing that has taught me how to garden is trying things and repeating them when they work, changing what doesn't and asking more experienced gardeners for tips (we have a lottie so plenty of old blokes ready to hand out their gnarled advice)

I do use my books for specific issues (I swear by the Titchmarsh) but I've never used them as a "learn to garden"

just want someone to teach me.

Get an allotment. The old chaps are falling over themselves to share their wisdom

I agree, Nigel, that one learns gardening by doing it, but I would have avoided some of my worst mistakes if I had had a tutorial from a professional gardener at the outset.

Whoknewthat - Your approach sounds fine to me. Unless one is chronically short of time, it is (at least for me) far more satisfying to do the garden myself than to pay someone to do it. That said, there are some jobs - such as pruning the fruit trees - where I'm happy to hand over to the professionals.

This month's GYO magazine mentions 'master gardeners' who might do exactly that sort of tutoring, whoknewthat so maybe search online for them?