I also began an organizational project very early this Spring. Right now, it's a in pocket-sized notebook... a spiral bound set of 50 3x5" index cards (bound on top) that flip. The back side of each card is blank, useful for drawing and mapping. The front of the next side is lined, useful for recording. (You can click on these photos to get a better view and idea of how my system works.)
Hopefully these photographs are good enough to give you an idea of what I've done. The back of the cover and the front page hold a "table of contents." You can see that some of my pages didn't have enough room for all the listings. They've had to spill onto other pages. Oh, well.
Someday I would like to take these maps and information and transfer them into a pocket notebook that will hold the original markers that came with the plants. I also anticipate noting when I planted each one (if I can remember!), special care notations, etc.
But, for now, this is dandy. And very easily carried and added to. :-)
*In the gardens, I have plant ID markers by nearly everything I've planted... at least nearly all the items I've purchased since we moved here!
Sometimes being "Shady" is just not enough! ;-)
14 comments:
Shady, I am impressed. I love the idea of the spiral-bound index cards. Sturdy, but small enough to carry around in your pocket, and the spiral binding means they won't go everywhere. Like Kathy's folders-by-year, each spiral-bound set of cards could be devoted to a year, maybe (depending on how large the garden is). Hmmm, this is a project I'm going to begin over the long weekend! Thanks!
J, You're welcome. You have a lot of space for plantings, too. I'd like to hear how you customize your organizational plan. :-)
Shady,
First let me say thanks for the kind thoughts you left on my blog. I had a few minutes to stop by and catch up on some comments. I like the plan you drew up for yourself and it looks really good.
Shady, how diligent of you! I've attempted to do so myself in the past, but these days, I tend to jot my thoughts, plans down on the backs of a tear off calendar, and inevitably misplace them! A few years back though, I did have a really nice day by day planner/calendar with wonderful Dog photos, and I kept track what I did every time I went out planting. I wonder where it is?? :-)
You have done what I have always had the good intention of doing (but never did). I like the notecard book. My tags never seem to stay put in my gardens. And when I collected them to save in a notebook, well they didn't make it past the garage. Maybe over the winter I can get organized for next year - LOL.
Mr. Brownthumb, Welcome back!!! You have been sorely missed. ;-)
IVG, Losing things is a familiar state with me. ;-) However, this inventory idea has been jogging around in my mind for the past couple of years. If I were to do any kind of inventorying, I really had to do it this Spring! I had ordered "a bunch" of new plants this past Winter, and I didn't want to be behind before I'd even begun. lol
Cindy, My original tags are in a "pile." I've made metal markers for most of my plants, but even they get "lost" (what with raking, etc.) from time to time. So this inventory just HAD to happen! Now, check with me next year to see if I've continued it! ha.
Your artistic side is showing in journal, with your drawings of the planting beds. I tried mapping out all my beds, but I just couldn't get the measurements right, so I gave up. When I plant something, I record the event, full name of the plant & where I got it in my garden journal. It's a little haphazard, but it works for me. Good luck with your inventory.
MMD, Oh, boy. My measurements are NOT right! ;-) But, it's close... and close is all I need, right now. I look forward to adding more information later. (Actually, I'd like to work up to having a larger notebook with pages and pocket folders for each bed. We'll see!) Your method provides such a nice "history" for each plant!
Shady, this is a wonderful idea. I've been trying for years (well, not very hard) to come up with a system that I would actually use. This one just might be doable! Thanks for sharing.
Hi Debbie, Good luck! It's really not hard... just take one bed at a time. :-) Thanks for stopping by!
Impressive! Great organizational ideas... Deb
GA/Deb, Thanks. I'm sure you have a way of keeping track of your plants, too. I'd like to know what others do. Happy 4th! :-)
I wish I would have done this before my herb garden. I know most of the everyday ones, but there are some oddballs, that looked like they'd turn out nicely when dried, but a few snow storms and mulching later, I have no markers and no idea what they are... some aren't in my herb books... or at least I don't recognize them. Now I have to do some extra research and figure it out, then put them in a book like this.
Thanks for the ideas!
Lisa, I know exactly how you feel. That's why I have a number of "mystery plants" at the moment. :-) Good luck in getting your herbs "in order!" (I admire you for your herb garden.)
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