Meg Buerkel Hunn, Advisory Council Chair: The Garden Journal

Six weeks ago, I planted out garlic for next year.

Two weeks later, I put in hundreds of spring bulbs.

I don’t think I have memory loss yet, but I sure don’t have any recollection of where I put either the garlic or those spring bulbs…  I guess I’ll know come spring time.

This is a “don’t do as I do” post!  As well as a gift-giving idea for the upcoming holiday.  A challenge post.  A New Year’s Resolution in the makings.  I don’t know. But I do know I wish I knew where those things were planted so I could plant around them, and so I’d know where to look for them come warmer days.  So, here’s the gift idea:  a Garden Journal for yourself or a gardener you know.

It could be blank pages or lined.  It could be bound or loose-leaf. It could be a black and white Composition Notebook from the drug store or a beautiful leather-bound journal from a local bookstore.  Something to record your garden-doings inside of so you don’t make mistakes like mine!  I am also told that, once you’ve done this for some time, you start to see patterns, you can recognize best practices for your space, you can effectively rotate crops, you can even give others advice and share the wisdom you’ve gleaned from this practice.

So, now I just have to pick out a journal – and (here’s the hard part) commit to writing things down.  And, maybe the harder part is getting your garden partner(s) to commit to the same. But, perhaps, together, we’ll all be able to look back on these misplaced garlics and bulbs and laugh and then share the things we’ve learned and seen in our garden.

I hope you and yours have a wonderful holiday full of the gifts of love, joy, hope, and peace.

~ Meg

PS – For a thoughtful gift for the generations to come, check out Anaya Elizabeth Johnson’s TED talk