Planning a Garden the Old-Fashioned Way
Returning to a Notebook This Season and
planning A Garden
Mid-February is such an exciting time for gardeners in North America.
Even though our gardens still look asleep — bare soil, dormant perennials, quiet beds — this is usually the moment when our minds start drifting toward spring. We begin planning, dreaming, preparing for the season ahead.
And of course, this is also the time of year when we get bombarded with seed haul videos, non-stop advertisements and affiliate links for seed-starting gadgets and tools we’re told we need … even though most of us probably don’t.
All that got me thinking about how gardeners from the past planned their gardens before the internet and Smart phones.
Historic gardeners didn’t have Instagram inspiration or digital plant trackers. But they did have something else: observation, patience, and notebooks.
Before Pinterest Boards and Phone Photos
While I’m sure gardeners throughout history all had their own ways of preparing for spring, many of them were keen observers who recorded the details of their gardens by hand. I’ve always loved the idea of doing that.
The truth is, though, I’ve never been especially disciplined about keeping a garden journal. I think it’s because I rely so heavily on my phone. I assume my camera will capture everything.
But last year, after we moved, I lost all of my garden photos from 2023 when one of our hard drives was damaged. That has me thinking that analog notebooks might actually be the better way to preserve the important parts of garden planning.
I don’t expect myself to document every single day, but I do want to record the highlights — the varieties I grow, what thrives, what struggles, and the milestones worth remembering.
Start By Documenting Color Schemes
This year, I’m experimenting with three distinct planting palettes. Documenting these color schemes is the perfect way to start my garden notebook.
The first scheme is soft and romantic: pale pink blooms mixed with white flowers and cool gray-green foliage.
The second scheme is bolder and one of my personal favorites: purple paired with bright chartreuse. Purple and chartreuse together always feels vibrant and a little magical.
For this palette I am planning:
The third scheme is dramatic and rich: deep burgundy tones mixed with rose pink and silvery foliage. This one feels bold, moody, and unique.
Plants for this palette include:
Slowing Down in a Fast Gardening World
Even though my garden notes won’t be as beautiful as Edith Holden’s, I’m genuinely looking forward to keeping a notebook this season.
In a world filled with fast advice and constant noise, a garden notebook reminds us to slow down. We don’t need to rush into everything.
This year, I’m starting small — just documenting my color scheme, my plant varieties, and the lessons I learn in this Kentucky garden so that one day, I can bring them with me to Sugar Hill.
I’m grateful for my Smart phone, but it’s comforting to remember that gardeners long before the internet found meaning and memory in a simple notebook.
