Chicago gardeners, if you read this gardening column, you know that a Chicago Garden Notebook is frequently mentioned. New readers may only have a vague understanding of the idea of a notebook. This column hopes to answer your questions.
A Chicago Garden Notebook is a record of a Chicago gardener’s goals, project plans, property diagrams and photos of past and present gardens. It can be a computer file, a scrapbook, leather-bound volume or a loose leaf binder. The gardener decides what information to include, how scientific the information should be and how much time should be devoted to record keeping.
Examples of data to include are climate, soil and weather information. Supplies and tool inventories can be maintained. Directories of seasonal plants according to the related season may be added. Lists of annual, edible, perennial and ornamental plants and trees provide useful information. Care, germination and growth data for individual plants in the garden could be recorded. Insect pests and control method should be helpful.
A notebook filled with creative drawings and paintings makes a garden notebook inspiring. Seasonal gardening critiques and reviews provide valuable guides for the coming growing season. Clippings from gardening magazines and journals plus horticultural workshop notes may be kept for future reference.
Gardeners who choose to keep their notebook as a computer file or library should examine the amazing world of software available to them. This software may simplify the record keeping involved in maintaining a garden notebook. A gardener may even want to turn their data into a delightful eBook.
A Chicago Garden Notebook supports a Chicago gardener by organizing important information needed for a healthy, lush garden. The gardener decides how effortless, uncomplicated, comprehensive and scientific it should be.
Live long and well—garden.
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