Upon closer inspection, I concluded they began sprouting some time last weeek. Surely that is too soon, or so I thought. I decided to scan through my Garden Journal to see if I noticed this in the past year or so. And in mid-January 2008, there it was, a small note about the daffodils sprouting. A note later, confirmed that sprouting early didn't hurt the blooms. They were full and plentiful.The Garden Journal, one of my favorite "tools." You may be asking yourself, do I really need one? The answer is YES! Well, you should at least consider it if you are serious about your gardening.
Your journal doesn't need to be anything fancy. I myself use a 3-ring binder. I set my journal up with calendar pages for each month and plenty of loose leaf in between. I keep separate sections for tips and ideas; projects lists; plant lists; garden diagrams; budget. Everything that has to do with my gardens goes in.
- Seeds ordered
- Seeds started and when
- When things sprout
- When seedlings go into the ground
- Garden diagrams
- Garden projects - new beds, transplanting
- Photos - as things sprout, stages of the garden
- Plant list
As you can see, I like to document. I take stock in my evergreens - do they look like they got damaged over the winter? How well do they come back, if at all? I cut the photos out of the catalogs of things I purchased and stick them on sheets behind my plant lists. But that is just me - it is the science geek in me coming out. At the end of the season, I can move the pages for the year to the back, and start again in January! I only have to start a new binder when one gets full. Good thing I bought the 3" wide binder!
Get started! Grab a composition book, 3-ring binder, spiral notebook, or a bound journal, pencil or pen and start documenting! You'll be glad you did.
I'm glad I take notes - now I know that I don't need to worry about my little daffodils being early, they typically sprout this time of year.
I'm jealous you have daffodils up already! I did find a few things in my garden the other day that have me pretty excited for spring. Anything I can do to keep that feeling going is good tho!
ReplyDeleteYou sound very organized! I like to plan, as well. If I don't I end up buying plants I just don't know where to put. Enjoyed your blog.
ReplyDeleteGreat advice. I remember my dad's color-coded notebook (with charts even) about his garden. Before the internet, he was the first place I went for information.
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