Plant Journaling: What is it and How to Do it
Plant Journaling: Keeping your plant alive one note at a time. Your plant friends will swoon at your organization skills.
A plant journal is a compiled group of notes and pictures/drawings created by you.
Why keep a Plant Journal?
Humans are not perfect *even gardeners* we forget things and if you have as many plants as I do it helps to keep them all in order.
Plant journaling, aka a Garden Journal, is a way to keep track of the copious plants (yes, I know you have a lot of plants) that inhabit your house and your yard.
A journal will allow you to have peace of mind because now you will have the ability to look back on how frequently to water, sun, fertilize, as well as how to best propagate specific plants in case you forget.
Creating a plant journal is a way to show off your style and creativity. Starting a journal for your plants can be daunting. When I started mine, I already had over 50 house plants. The key, in my opinion, is to make it as fun as possible. So, dust off your colored pencils and grab a notebook.
What Notebook is best for you?
I currently use a hardcover book that I originally bought as a sketchbook, but you can use whatever you have handy, a lined notebook or a three-ring binder will work just as well. I prefer the hardcover because it is more durable and makes me feel more official.
Step 1: Make a cover
The cover on the left I created on Canva.com. There are a lot of free templates to use; however, the cute, succulent images I used for this example cost a dollar per design…so three dollars in total.
If you do choose to go the Canva route you can either save it as a photo on your computer and print it off and either glue it or tape it in. It is also possible to make the journal electronic, as a Google or Word document. Do what will be easiest for you!
The cover of my journal was created very quickly, only because I was too eager to start writing information about my plants in it!
Step Two: What to write?
The answer to that question is whatever you’d like! This is your book, write what you think would be valuable. Some suggestions might be:
- Light Requirements: Time for Photosynthesis.
- Fertilizing: Make sure your plant isn’t hungry!
- Water: So you can make sure the plants are not drowning or thirsty!
- Propagation: So you can make plant babies.
- Toxicity: Just in case someone snacks on something they are not supposed to.
Step 3: How to organize
You completed step one and two, Congrats. Now you have to decide how to organize your plant journal. The ways to organize can be overwhelming, but it is essential to remember to make it easy for you.
Let’s be honest. If you make it complicated, you will probably not be motivated to keep on it (yep I am calling you out). I have mine separated in a couple of ways. The main way I have it organized is:
- Edible plants
- Vegetables
- Herbs
I also have a section of non edible plants, some are inside and outside. The ones I do have outside are labeled “Outside/Patio.” My non edible plants are categorized as:
- Non-Edible
- Low light
- Medium Light
- High light
I have them separated through tabs. I found these tabs on Amazon, they are small and do not take away from the beautiful work you’ve done on your plant journal.
Step 4: Pictures
Drawing your plants vs printing photos is the next question you should ask yourself. I decided to draw uncolored plants, specifically the leaves of the plant and what it looks like as a whole. But if you can only manage a cute little stick figure you might be better off printing a photo you find online.
Another idea for printing off photos that take minimal effort is taking a picture with a polaroid style camera like this Polaroid Mini . I have one, and I love it. Once your photo develops, you can tape it into your journal.
It is ultimately up to you, but if you make it fun, you will love keeping it updated and will look forward to adding new plants to your journal.
Why add Pictures?
So you can keep track of them, of course! Maybe it’s just me, but sometimes I can remember various details of a plant, but for the life of me, I can’t remember which one it is (ugh).
My thoughts on having a plant journal
I have used my journal A LOT. Sometimes I feel like I’m running around like a crazy person, so I forget a lot of things. I use it to take care of my plants, and I also find it relaxing to create every page of the journal itself.
Do you keep a plant journal, if so what do you write in yours? Are you going to start one? Leave a comment below!
Instagram’s beth.the.plant.mom and new Try Backyard Farming contributor, Bethany Witte-Krantz is from Illinois, but currently residing in Wisconsin. Beth has been farming her whole life and has just recently expanded her plant collection when she got her new apartment. Follow her plant Instagram to watch her collection grow. She enjoys baking, reading, and listening to music.
