I have written several times about the importance of keeping a gardening journal before we start to make changes to our gardens. And while it would seem January is the best time to start a journal to get into the habit of keeping one, any time is a good time to start. And the end of the gardening season might be the best time of all.
“Why?” you ask. Autumn is the time when plants start to fold up shop for the winter, but it can also be a time of reflection as to what worked and what didn’t work in the Spring and Summer. For example, what slug baits worked best for you? For me it was the coffee grounds I would spread around vulnerable plants all season.
But other questions popped to mind as I was cleaning up the hostas. Were there any plants that failed this year? My answer to that would be yes because several of my older hosta seemed to be stressed and not doing well. When I looked further, I found it was because their roots had been undermined by chipmunks. That will be something I need to address next year for sure.
I had the same problem with my Rhododendron ‘Nancy Evans,” one of my all-time favorite shrubs. The leaves started to brown and curl and upon inspection, the chipmunks had dug tunnels all around the base of the rhodie, too. No amount of fertilizer would help there, although perhaps it would be worse if I hadn’t fertilized. A healthy plant is more likely to weather any problems.
My dahlias were a huge disappointment this year. I had beautiful plants but not a single bud to be seen. When I reviewed my journal from last fall, I realized I had not lifted and stored those tubers as I usually do. So perhaps that, plus a rainy, cool Spring, was the issue. This year I will lift those tubers and do what I always used to do and store them for the winter. I will note the day I do that in the journal as well.
And of course, the long, dry spell didn’t help anything either. I made note of that in my journal. We hadn’t had any measurable rain since the middle of June, so when we did get a nice rain at the end of September, I was sure to note that and include just how much rain we got. Keeping track of rainfall is an excellent use of a journal. When we look back over several years of journaling, we may be able to see a pattern and adjust our plantings accordingly.
I do not limit myself to what happened in the past, though. I also make notes on what I want to change next growing season as well as what worked well and I want to do again. Those coffee grounds to keep slugs at bay will definitely be noted. And I need to add the varieties of annuals I bought this year that were spectacular, even in a drought. I will look for those again next Spring.
I put a gorgeous orange tuberous begonia in a large pot this year. It was very pretty in the big pot but some of its beauty was lost from having to be viewed on the ground. But next year, that same begonia is going into a hanging basket where it’s pendulous blooms can be better seen and enjoyed. But if I don’t make notes about it now, I may not remember what I had planned when April, 2023 rolls around.
I have mentioned before in columns that I keep my journal as a Word document on my computer because I like being able to add photographs to illustrate the changes. But there are fancy, leather-bound journals that can be found in good bookstores as well as lesser-priced versions. Some people prefer a simple school notebook they can take into the garden with them to make notes. That works, too, as does a sketch pad for those gardeners who are also artistic and prefer drawings to photos. In any case, even just a few words placed next to an illustration or photo will remind you of why it was included in your journal.
I do encourage you to find the type of journal you like, whatever form it may take. You need one that will inspire you to keep current with your notes. For that is the most important part of any type of journal: filling it with information.
