When I first began to garden, I didn’t have a good understanding of all the tasks that needed to be accomplished in the garden. I didn’t keep track of anything I was doing. So each year as I planted my flowers and produce, I would make the same mistakes over and over.

I would over-plant some things, while not planting enough of others… too much zucchini and not enough basil. I planted long season vegetables too late and didn’t get a crop before the first frost. Or I planted warm season annuals too early, and the flowers died because of a spring cold snap.

Whether you’re growing flowers, vegetables, or herbs, there’s a time for planting and harvesting of each. But when you’re new to gardening or you have too much on your plate, it’s difficult to remember all the details of what to plant and when.

Following those early years, I discovered that keeping track of the details of each year’s garden helped me plan and organize for the next growing season. Planning ahead helped me to not under or over plant. I had a way to track what grew well and what didn’t grow so well. So how do I keep track of everything?

I keep track of all those garden details in a Garden Binder. It’s a simple system that has given me more control over my gardening efforts. Let me show you how easy it is to organize with a Garden Binder.

Why You Need a Garden Binder

Our lives today are so full of activities and information that it can be a challenge to keep track of everything. When it comes to the garden, you might forget what varieties you grew last year. What flowers grew best in your cutting garden and the amount of herbs you harvested. Or what challenges, pests, and weather related issues you dealt with. Garden Binder to the rescue.

A Garden Binder can help you keep track of all those little details. When a new season rolls around, the garden binder can remind you of all the details so you can make a better plan for the year. Here are a few of the benefits of a garden binder system…

1. Keep track of the flowers you grow in your cutting garden… what types, how many.
2. Remind yourself of seasonal dates, such as first and last frost dates.
3. Plan how much to grow based on last year’s yields.
4. Help you remember where you stashed your supplies and tools at the end of the garden season.
5. Get a jumpstart on the garden season because you know right away what supplies you need to purchase before the season begins.
6. Track your garden goals and projects for the year.

What to Include in Your Garden Binder

The nice thing about a garden binder is that you can create a binder that works for you. You can include sections you need and eliminate others. It’s a system that lets you control how much you want to include. Here are some ideas for what to include in your garden binder.

• Annual Calendar pages
• Monthly Checklists for regular tasks
• Goal Planning Pages
• Tracking Forms to monitor things such as when and what you planted
• Supply List
• Seed Inventory
• Planting Schedule for indoors and out
• Shopping List
• Envelope for storing sales receipts
• Garden Layout
• Weather Tracker
• Journal Pages
• Note Pages

Supplies to Set Up Your Garden Binder

Your garden binder system can be as simple as a note tablet or a purchased garden planner. However, I like the flexibility of an actual binder, so you can control what to include. Here are the basic supplies you need for creating a garden binder.

Supply List

• 1-2 inch 3-ring binder with front cover sleeve
• Garden Planner pages
• Divider tab pages (I like the pocket style dividers that give you room to store papers, plant tags etc.)
• Graph paper
• Note paper
• Hole punch

How to Set Up Your Garden Binder

It’s easy to create your garden binder. First, decide what sections (from the above list) you would like to keep track of. Some areas can be combined or left out if not needed. Next, choose some planner pages to include and print them out. You can find free printable pages online or you could purchase a printable planner. Check out my Annual Garden Planner that you can use year after year to fill your garden binder.

Here are the sections that I can’t live without…

1. Calendar Section
2. Monthly Checklists
3. Goal Planning and Project Section
4. Garden Layout/Planting Section
5. Forms Section for seed inventory, storage, supply lists, etc.
6. Notes/Journal Section
7. Plant Details
8. Zippered Pouch for receipts

Tips For Using Your Garden Binder

Being more organized in the garden means that you have a place to store all the pertinent details of your garden. But setting up the system is half the battle. You need to use your garden binder for it to be effective. Here are a few tips I’ve learned over the years that make the garden binder a greater success.

Keep Your Garden Binder Handy

If you tuck your binder on the shelf and never pull it out, you’ll be less likely to track your garden efforts. I’ve found that if I don’t see my binder, I’m less likely to write things down. For this reason, I keep the binder on my desk where I’ll see it and remember to make notations. I do this mainly when planning my garden or I’m in active growing mode.

Every morning, I glance at my garden calendar to make sure I’m not missing anything. Then at night I make a few comments about the day. I might jot down what I did in the garden on the calendar or list how much produce I harvested in the note section. I make a notation about the weather, especially if it was unusual. While I don’t journal daily, I might make a journal entry about the first robin of spring or the bunny I chased out of my cabbages.

Make a Habit of Tracking Your Purchases and Saving Receipts

When you make a trip to the garden center or nursery, be sure to list the purchase and save the receipt in your envelope. Then if the plant you purchased dies, you can double check the date and locate the receipt to return. Most nursery shrubs and trees have a one-year warranty on them. So if you planted a fruit tree last fall, and it dies over the winter, you can usually get it replaced. But without the purchase details, you’re less likely to get a refund or replacement.

Take a Small Note Tablet With You Into the Garden

Because of the size of my garden binder, I don’t drag it around with me. But I like to jot down ideas or garden happenings when I think of them. So I carry a small note tablet in my pocket or garden apron. That way, I can make a quick comment and move on. I will then transfer that information to my garden binder once I come in for the day.

The note tablet can also be handy for reminding myself of the day’s tasks. I have a tendency to multi-task in the garden. If I’m not careful, I’ll end up doing a bunch of other jobs and not complete the things I need to do.

Check Your Goal and Project List Regularly

Once I decide on a project, I break it down into manageable tasks. Then I put those tasks on my garden calendar so I remember to include them. I try to check my goal/project lists at least once a week to make sure I’m on track to complete that project. Otherwise, busywork in the garden takes over and I’m less likely to complete my bigger projects.

A “project” might include the annual pruning of my blueberry patch. It might be building a new structure, such as a shed to store tools. Or putting in a garden pathway. A project could be cleaning and organizing your garden shed. Maybe this year you have a goal to entertain more in your garden. You get to choose what goals you want to accomplish in your garden.

How to Maintain Your Garden Binder From Year to Year

Once you have a garden binder in place, it’s easy to maintain from year to year. Each year, just update your planning pages, such as the blank calendar. Before I replace anything, however, I go through all my notations from the previous year and use that information to plan the new garden. I then save the old info, such as the calendar, in a separate binder. You could also move those older pages to the back of your Garden Binder.

As you’re planning for the new year, consider these areas…

• Look through your supply list and purchases to see if you need any new items.
• Consider how much and what you want to plant for the new year.
• Make adjustments based on problems you had with your garden last year.
• Determine what new seeds you’ll need to purchase for the growing season.
• Think about what changes you want to make to your garden areas this year.

Staying organized in the garden is your recipe for success. Setting up your very own Garden Binder will help you have more control. No longer will you have to guess when the best time to plant your dahlia tubers is. You’ll know exactly when to start your seeds indoors or when to plant outside. You won’t forget to stratify your seeds on time. Don’t guess if you need more tomato plants or fewer. You can keep track of all these details and more when you set up a garden binder system.

Create your best garden year ever, when you learn to organize with a Garden Binder!