- A
Gardener's Diary
- by Rachel Paxton
Have you ever thought about keeping
a gardener's diary to record what you plant and where you plant
it? Keeping a diary will help you plan next year's garden by
recording which plants grew well and which ones didn't. You can
also note which colors do or don't look good together, or which
plants overwhelm one another. Keep a record of how long the sun
shines in different areas of your yard so you can find plants
that require the appropriate amount of sunlight. In our yard,
the soil is not the same everywhere. We have made do by planting
different kinds of plants in different types of soil.
We have a big patch of very sandy
soil that turned out to be adequate to grow a good crop of zucchini
and pumpkins last year, as long as we kept it well watered. Our
tulips did really well last year. We have them scattered here
and there throughout the yard, but their favorite place is in
a very sandy shady spot next to the front porch.
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Those tulips were twice as big as
the ones that got more sunshine. This year, however, we got a
little warm weather in early spring and then a cold spell. The
poor tulips never recovered from the cold and didn't bloom at
all! One plant that doesn't seem to care where it is planted
is our rhubarb. It has been moved from house to house several
times, it has grown in different types of soil, and it has been
watered inconsistently. I then cut it all off and it grows right
back again! This plant seems impossible to harm. |
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We're experimenting with daisies
this year. I wanted to add some more color to our yard. I planted
them in different places and will watch to see where they do
best.
I love looking at my yard and
looking at all the different plants that people have given me.
Who would have thought that plants could be keepsakes. You can
make notes in your diary as to who gave you what plants and what
meaning they have to you. Our rhubarb plant is the same one that
we had at our home when I was a child, and my mom gave me some
of the chrysanthemums that were given to me and planted in her
yard when my daughter was born almost twelve years ago. Walking
around the yard I see flowers from my aunt, rosemary from my
husband's grandmother, and the young maple tree my daughter grew
from a seed several years ago. There are many memories in our
small surroundings. Planting seedlings from other people's gardens
is also a great way to save money - plants are so expensive these
days. Why pay for them at the store when you can get them for
free? I also buy a lot of plants at the end of the season. A
lot of stores have two-for-one sales and practically give away
their leftover plants. Even a half wilted annual will perk right
up when you give it a little tender-loving care. It will be back
good as new next year.
Your diary can be as simple as
a spiral notebook or as fancy as a bound diary you can buy at
the store. If you are good at drawing, you can also make sketches
of your plants in your diary. If you end up living in the same
place for many years, your gardening diary can be a little piece
of history for your family. Your family will cherish those memories
for a lifetime.
Copyright Rachel Paxton |
