So this week, how have you set up your Filofax to keeping track of your gardening tasks. Do you record the first signs of blossom, daffodils, when you planted seeds, the variety of vegetables you are growing each year and the success rates etc.
Tell us in the comments.
Are there any specific inserts you use, or require? If they don't exist already I'm sure we can create them and make them available for you.
If you can share pictures on Flickr or your own blog post then please post links in the comments.
I would love some sort of insert for gardening tasks season by season, and when to prune specific things etc. but I do not have enough knowledge of gardening to compile such a thing, but it would be sooooo useful! I have tried to imprint in my brain, and noted in my diary that my peach tree needs pruning in late spring, and that is as far as I have got lol
ReplyDeleteI'm not much of a gardener - but would like to be!
ReplyDeleteI've just bought a couple of books second hand. One is called Gardening Through the Year and the other Your Garden Week by Week (both from ebay). They lay out what to do month-by-month and week-by-week. I had this sort of idea that I could refer to them and create my own todo list. I've suddenly got a bit busy with work and haven't really had chance to sit down and figure it out - but the changes are it will be in a filofax of some kind. Either as a section in the home one, or in one of it's own.
I've also got quite a few back issues of some mags with some inspirational garden pictures that I planned to cut out and make a sort of 'mood' board from for different areas of the garden (we have quite a large, long garden).
So you see I have plans and ideas, I'm just not sure how to action them. I'll be reading the responses here hoping for some sort of 'aha' moment! I don't think I need a traditional dated diary - more of a month or week schedule that can be used year to year with some added notes as time goes by. I suppose a filofax with tabs for each month would be a start with notes and ideas for that month, and then another section to paste picture ideas and jot down thoughts.
I am liking your ideas so far, and totally relate to it!!
DeleteI like to grow veg and sunflowers. I tend to write on filofax notepaper the date i sowed the seeds, the date they started sprouting and the amount of weeks they will be ready in. This is done in columns. It works quite well for me :) xx
ReplyDeleteLikewise I'm not much of a gardener, so I've created an A4/A5 insert on 'When to Prune'
ReplyDeletehttp://philofaxy.com/files/whentoprune.pdf
http://philofaxy.com/files/whentoprune.docx
Steve
This is a great start, thank you so much Steve. This will be VERY useful. I can feel a new tab coming on!!!! Can my filo take it all lol
DeleteBrilliant = thanks Steve! This is just the sort of thing I want to keep in my 'gardening' planner.
DeleteI did try to set up a garden section on my personal sized filofax, but gave up on that notion rather quickly. Mainly because of how thick and heavy my filofax became once I had managed to squeeze in all the garden information. That, and because I realised that I didn't need most of the garden information on an everyday basis.
ReplyDeleteThe garden section in my filofax is very simple and straightforward now:
1. Plant and harvest list. This is on the front of my garden section and contains dates for when I need to plant things and by what date they should be harvested. I have a tendency to plant things too late, and harvest too late, which makes for a bad result. The harvest result, specific problems, taste etc. I note down in my garden journal since there is no need for me to carry that information with me always.
2. Looking for: under this section I have a list of plants and seeds that I am looking for for various reasons. For example, I have a lovely pear tree that gives perfect sweet but firm pears. Just perfect. I would love another one to keep it company, but haven't seen any in the plant nurseries around here. So on the list it goes, so I can keep an eye out. Same thing for my favourite carrot seeds etc.
3. Avoid: when you buy a lot of seeds and plants this is really, really super important to have with you at all times to avoid making a bad purchase twice.
4. To Do: this section is divided into months, each monthly tab containing reminders for what I need to do during that month. For example, right now, I need to prepare the vegetable beds for planting by turning them over.
A filofax is perfect if you have an allotment. I use an old pocket sized filofax stuffed full of fountain pen friendly "Oxford" branded 140mm x 90mm paper (no need for dividers). Each page records activity pertaining to a particular patch of ground or raised bed. An additional advantage is that standard sized seed envelopes fit the wrap around wallet pocket common to many pocket sized filofaxes.
ReplyDeleteThumbing through a vintage filofax, adding ink to paper whilst waiting for the allotment kettle to boil, is what it's all about.
I started to use an Urban personal for gardening as I took over the garden this year. I have six numbered dividers, so far four of them allocated to categories of things I need to learn to do or remember. I have decorated a dash board which is just for show and put a piece of card before the dividers which I have also decorated. I have a Filofax lined notepad in the slot at the back and a Faber castel Pencil in the loop. I guess I will have to go round a year to see how it all works out.
ReplyDeleteI was thinking of getting a Moleskine Gardening Journal but I'm not sure the sections are quite what I want. Instead I'm intending to revive an old Deskfax and use that. It has a rubbery vinyl cover (Keswick?) so ideal for taking outdoors, plus the original dividers for alphabetising my plants. I just need to work out what I *do* want on my templates; I have a box of old Croxley Heritage to print on so it should end up a quality item all round.
ReplyDelete