It's mid-winter in the garden, but there's nary a speck of snow to be seen (at least for the next day or so) and one end of the pond is beginning to melt ever so little in the sunshine. A week of fifty-degrees-plus weather has got me thinking ahead to springtime. Oh, has it ever!
Wednesday is my short day at work so I'll be seed shopping at our local nursery. First, though, I'll look back at the garden notes I made last fall to see what our successes and failures were and what new ideas I had. I used to store my fall lists, old plant labels and plant maps in my Sunset Western Garden Book--easy to store and easy to find each spring. It wasn't very organized though and my WGB (the bible for gardeners west of the Rockies) got plumper and plumper each year--rather like a Nevada gardener who shall remain unnamed.
Not anymore. Now my autumn summary lies dormant on my hard drive until spring fever wakes it up.
I scan my newest plant labels (front and back) when I have a sec
and add the year and name to each. Now a few stray electrons (don't you love my expert tech nomenclature) sveltely encode my newest coral bell for future reference. I've been known to scan my receipt in case an expensive purchase doesn't make it.
I stroll around the yard as foliage dies back and photo new plants like the monarda that turned out to be one of 2010's favorites.
(I wouldn't want to forget where I planted this little beauty and tragically try to transplant a hollyhock into this precise location.)
I also photo the location of some underachievers like this pink phlox that hasn't bloomed for three years despite everything I've done for the ungrateful little wretches.
Even though right now this looks like a bare brown spot near the maple I'll know exactly where to dig them up so I can pawn them off share them with my neighbors.
I even scan my scrawled "notes to self".
The spine of my Western Garden Book is ever so grateful. (I just wish I could shed inches so easily. Perhaps I could just scan my food instead of eating it?)
Uh, where were we?
Ah yes. Now a look back couldn't be easier--I just bring up the "Garden 2010" folder where everything resides to start my 2011 garden season. eGarden Notes--highly recommended!
Need a breathe of spring? Come join us here.
Wednesday is my short day at work so I'll be seed shopping at our local nursery. First, though, I'll look back at the garden notes I made last fall to see what our successes and failures were and what new ideas I had. I used to store my fall lists, old plant labels and plant maps in my Sunset Western Garden Book--easy to store and easy to find each spring. It wasn't very organized though and my WGB (the bible for gardeners west of the Rockies) got plumper and plumper each year--rather like a Nevada gardener who shall remain unnamed.
Not anymore. Now my autumn summary lies dormant on my hard drive until spring fever wakes it up.
I scan my newest plant labels (front and back) when I have a sec
I stroll around the yard as foliage dies back and photo new plants like the monarda that turned out to be one of 2010's favorites.
I also photo the location of some underachievers like this pink phlox that hasn't bloomed for three years despite everything I've done for the ungrateful little wretches.
I even scan my scrawled "notes to self".
Uh, where were we?
Ah yes. Now a look back couldn't be easier--I just bring up the "Garden 2010" folder where everything resides to start my 2011 garden season. eGarden Notes--highly recommended!
Need a breathe of spring? Come join us here.
What a great idea, scanning info! My coral bells are at least 15 years old and I need to divide them once again.
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