GARDEN RECORD KEEPING

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Index Cards: The index card is also a very versatile record-keeping tool. You can set up a chart system on the front and use the back for additional notes. Index cards come in a variety of colors for convenient reference, are easy to shuffle around as needed, and stay orderly and safe in their own box. I keep a separate section, divided by vegetable headings, for writing the location of helpful articles and books on the different crops I grow, along with useful cultivation facts I've learned over the years.

Chalk or Felt-Tipped-Marker Board: Great to have in your toolshed or greenhouse for writing notes when you have grubby fingers. Just remember to transfer the information to paper later on!

Calendars: When people first see the scrawlfilled draft-horse calendar on my wall, the first words out of their mouths are, "Is this your diary?" I do write a record of each day's events in its blank spaces; I guess it's the closest thing to a personal journal I have the perseverance to maintain.

But a calendar can serve a more important purpose for the conscientious gardener: Every winter I sit down with one and write in my upcoming "garden duty" dates: approximate days for starting vegetables, when to add bonemeal to the blueberries, etc.

I also write down—in a set—aside recordkeeping space-notes to add to the next year's calendar. Here I record important reminders and lessons learned. For instance, last March when the spring winds blew away a day's work of adding leaf mulch, I wrote that event down for next March—to remind me not to make the same mistake twice!

The arrival of the first firefly, robin, swallowtail, and goldenrod bloom are notable events, as well. Keep track of those and someday you may be able to plant by the signs of nature as our forefathers and foremothers did: "When the oak leaves are the size of squirrel's ears . . ."

I find being able to look over a calendar of the year to come—and seeing all those jotted—down bits of hard—won wisdom—is indispensable to my efforts to become a better gardener. In fact, I urge you, if you try no other note taking, do keep "year ahead" notes this annum for 1987! If you do just that one step, I'm sure you'll begin to discover for yourself just how useful and important good record keeping can be!

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