Why You Should Keep a Lawn and Garden Binder

Gardening season will start in two months. Even if you're not into gardening, by April you're going to start mowing and dealing with what landscaping you have. Now is a great time to start a garden notebook. I know, I know, you're busy and the last thing you need is something else on your to do list. However, keeping some basic notes can save you time and money in the long run. It will keep you from repeating mistakes and remind you of what worked well.

How to do it

I'll admit to being pretty old fashioned. As you can tell from the picture, I keep my garden planner in an old fashioned binder. It works well for me. It's a great place to keep articles on gardening you find in magazines or online. I have a separate area for different areas of my yard where I keep track of what I planted and how well it did. I also keep track of where I bought things and when I planted them. Drawing simple maps helps out too.

Digital planners

You can find several digital garden planners online. Here are a few to get you started.

http://gardenplanner.motherearthnews.com/

http://gardenplanner.almanac.com/gardenplanner/gardenplanner.html#

http://www.bhg.com/gardening/design/nature-lovers/welcome-to-plan-a-garden/

The problem with these is that they don't have a way to take notes from previous years which to me is half the reason to do this in the first place.

Whether you keep physical or electronic notes, you need to have a physical envelope to keep receipts from larger plant purchases. Most garden centers have one year guarantees on their plants so if you loose out, you can bring it back with a receipt.  

Is it worth it? 
Not for everyone. Some people really hate gardening and have nothing to keep track of. Remember that you only have to update it when you want to. I only get to in once a month or so during the growing season and even less in winter. You may only access it once a year. However, if you're like me and you love gardening, then I think a garden planner is indispensable. It gives us something productive to do when it's too dark and cold outside to be out there doing anything. Do you keep a garden planner? I'd love to hear about it in the comments below.