Creating a\nrecord of the plants in your garden yields several benefits. A \u201cgarden record\u201d\nincludes two essential components: the name, photo and basic cultivation notes\nfor each plant, and an indication of each plant\u2019s location in the garden. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
A more\nelaborate plant record could include extensive plant info that reflects the\ngardener\u2019s interests. Examples include purchase details (when, where, cost);\nnative region; and landscaping ideas. The record could be extended further with\nnotes on the plant\u2019s development over time, including bloom times, pruning,\npropagation, fertilization, etc. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Such\ndetails, while relevant, are the territory of professional growers and very zealous\ngardeners. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
The\nminimalist approach to a garden record involves simply inserting a plant tag in\nthe soil next to the plant. A respectable tag from the nursery provides the\nplant\u2019s botanical and common names, plus a phrase about its mature size and\ngrowth needs. Placing the tag in the soil marks its spot in the garden. This\nmethod, although popular, has notable shortcomings: sparse information,\nephemeral mark of location, and plastic intrusion into the natural setting. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Plant tags\nare best used for temporary reference, during the preparation of a better\ngarden record. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
After\nconsidering those extreme forms, let us return to the fundamental model of the\nplant record. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Plant Information<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Compiling\ninformation on an individual plant can be accomplished most easily and quickly\nwith an Internet search, using the plant\u2019s botanical name, or, if necessary,\nits common name. This information should be available on the plant tag. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The first\nsearch should be the website of the nursery that grew the plant. The nursery\u2019s\nname could be read from the plant tag, or provided by garden center that sold\nthe plant. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Other good sources include San Marcos Growers <\/a>in Santa Barbara. SMG grows many plants and supplies them to garden centers. Their website (includes a fine database of plants that they grow \u2014or used to grow\u2014 with photos and detailed descriptions, cultivation suggestions, and notes on the plant\u2019s discovery or hybridization. <\/p>\n\n\n\n More good online resources include Wikipedia <\/a> for plant information and Wikimedia Commons <\/a> for plant photographs. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Other\nwebsites with useful plant information could be discovered through a botanical\nname search.<\/p>\n\n\n\n After\nlocating basic plant information, good practice involves developing a database\nof plants in your own garden. This could be accomplished on paper or in digital\nform, i.e., as a computer file. Organize the plant under discrete planting beds\nor areas of the garden. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Garden Map <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n The second\ncomponent of the garden record is a map showing the location of each plant in\nthe database. Plant locations could be documented with notes within the plant\ndescription, but a graphical map would be a more useful reference for\nmonitoring plant growth and developing the landscape development. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The garden\nmap need not serve as an artistic triumph or an exercise in precise\nengineering, but it should amount to a scale drawing of the garden area. For a garden\non a standard lot with a typical complement of plants, a map of the entire\ngarden could be sufficient. For larger gardens, or those with many plants, a\nseries of maps representing areas of the garden would support notations\nindicating plant locations. <\/p>\n\n\n\n On the map,\nrepresent each plant with its name, or a numeral linked to the plant record, or\na numeral linked to symbol. The symbol could be a circle of appropriate size,\nor, for the artistically inclined, a simple drawing that suggests the size and\nform of the plant. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Again,\nprimary purpose of the garden map is to document plant locations, rather than\nto create a work of art. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The map must\nbe editable, so that it could be updated to reflect additions, deletions, and\nrelocations of plants. Working in pencil could be most appropriate. <\/p>\n\n\n\n A garden map\nalso could be created and maintained as a digital file. This method involves\nthe use of computer graphic software, either a general purpose or\ngarden-mapping application. This column cannot include an overview of garden\nmapping software, but, generally, the garden-mapping software that is currently\navailable is intended for edible gardens in which plants grow in rows. Such\nsoftware could be helpful for planning and describing traditional vegetable\ngardens, but is not suitable for ornamental gardens, or for edible gardens that\nare designed for aesthetic effect, including those that creatively combine\nedibles and ornamentals. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Graphic\ndesign software with the functionality needed to represent irregularly shaped planting\nbeds is certainly available, but tends to require significant expense and\nskill. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Avid\ngardeners can develop plant information and garden maps to create garden records\nof substantial value in developing and maintaining the garden. Good practice suggests\nadopting readily accomplished formats, rather than aspiring to high standards\nthat are unlikely to be achieved or maintained. The first priority should be to\ncreate the garden record as a practical tool for planning, developing and\nmaintaining your garden. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The rainy\nseason is a good time to pursue your garden record project! <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Creating a record of the plants in your garden yields several benefits. A \u201cgarden record\u201d includes two essential components: the name, photo and basic cultivation notes for each plant, and an indication of each plant\u2019s location in the garden. A … Continue reading