Gardening is by no means a foolproof project but, with some guidance and education about seeds and plants, it can be a fruitful and positive experience.
Supplies for Gardening Journal
To start a gardening journal a child will need:
- a scrapbook or journal (preferably with a waterproof cover )
- a pen set with various colors
- stickers
- glue
- scissors
- tape
A notebook or binder or even paper that can be bound together can be used if a premade garden journal is not chosen. The gardener can write his name and the date on the frontal page of the journal and follow by writing how he came to be interested in a garden or what made him decide to try gardening.
Recording Information in Journal
As the child decides which plants he will set out and what seeds he wants to plant, he will turn up and prepare the soil. However he chooses to do that, he should describe his work in the journal and draw some pictures of the work.
Take photos and record dates as each row is planted. Write down the name and type of each plant not just cucumbers, squash, and tomatoes. This listing of varieties planted must not be vague. Rather, list official names of each such as, Royal Beauty Cucumbers, Crawford’s Best yellow crookneck Squash, Townsend’s Sunglow Tomatoes. Later this list will come in handy in determining which seeds that you want to try again or ones to avoid.
Weather should also be sketched and described in the book. The temperature at the time of each entry would be helpful and clouds, rainfall and sunshine, storms, and cold weather can be added, since these all affect the way the plants grow. Use an outdoor thermometer and record the temps. Or take them from local weather reports on television, radio or newspapers.
Record information about rainfall and the actual work of the gardener in planting, weeding, thinning, watering and harvesting the produce.
Decorating and Illustrating Journals
Use one of the first pages to sketch or glue in pictures of how he hopes his garden will look. The young gardener can add stickers, photos or sketches of plants, seed packets, plants, seeds, garden rows, gardening tools, gloves, equipment, or the garden produce throughout the pages of the gardening journal.
Label the photos or sketches of the garden area and tools like tiller, hoes, racks, or shovels, wheelbarrow, and seed packets or starter plants in pots in the first pages of the journal.
As the rows are marked the gardener should sketch his garden into his journal showing how the rows run and what he plants in each row. This will be extremely helpful to him later when the plants sprout. Knowing what to look for in each row allows the gardener to identify the plants and weeds so he can pull up the weeds effectively. Glue in seed packets for each vegetable planted. Look for pictures of vegetables in seed catalogues or magazines.
Recording the Harvest
Harvest is the time when a gardener may get behind on his or her journaling. The produce may come in so fast that the gardener fails to record the produce he harvests. It is beneficial to write down the amounts harvested. If the carrots only produced two spindly bitter carrots, that information inform the reader that the soil is not good for carrots. If the carrots produce a bushel of crunchy sweet carrots that knowledge may call for planting the same type next summer and using the same methods. Dates of planting and harvesting are important factor in determining the success of certain varieties in the weather zone of the garden.
Measure and weigh the biggest and best and write the results along with sketches of the vegetables – melons or potatoes. Describe the most amazing produce and how it was cooked and enjoyed.
Planting a garden takes on a special aspect when the gardener keeps a journal. Fancy or purely functional, the well-kept journal becomes a priceless record of a year’s gardening adventure, planting and working in the garden, weather conditions and the results of rewarding activity. A gardening journal turns the record of the garden into a keepsake and also a useful source of information for use in future efforts.
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