I have a basket full of plant labels in the potting shed and a rough sketch of where things are, bed by bed. I have a Word doc with a 'to do' list for each month in the garden and whenever I buy something new I check how and when it needs pruning or the best time and method to propagate and I add those to the list.
I keep all my plant labels in a shoebox with alphabetical dividers. I try to remember to write the date I bought it and where I've put it. I also have a Brother garden labelling machine which I find makes the most long lasting labels out in the garden. Then every night I write my garden diary up with the weather that day, what I've bought, where and the price. Then I record what I've done, what I've planted and where, also what flowers are blooming or what has gone over. I also jot down ideas for future projects. I know I could do it all on the computer but have a bit of a shoulder problem and besides I find it very relaxing to just sit, think and write.
I have drawings of each bed with the plants marked. I also have two excel spreadsheets one lists the plants I have bought/growed from seeds, where I bought them from, how much I paid and what condition they were in when they arrived. The second spreadsheet is a planting list that lists the plants and where they are planted in the garden. I also take photos of the garden and have albums by season so I can see how things compare year by year, Oh and I keep a gardening diary. (I know, I'm a bit of a nerd when it comes to the garden).
The only things I have taken any care over are the fruit trees, I drew a little plan with what type they were.. I think I have probably lost the plan however!
@Skandi That made me ROFL! I lost the plot years ago!!!
My organization will probably sound "terribly organized" to some fellow gardeners on this forum. But I do enjoy organizing things, and I like my on-line garden almost as much as the real thing.
Whenever I acquire a new plant I immediately enter its data in a database on my computer, with a photo, details copied from its label and completed with info from the internet.
When planted, I enter the exact location of the plant on a garden map on my computer, created with the Garden Planner software.
I then transfer that info (plant data and map location) to my on-line website. I regularly update the details for each and every plant as it grows, year after year. Since my website is bilingual I regularly update the info in the French part, but not so regularly and not in as great detail in English, sorry.
I keep all my labels, divided up into perennials, roses, clematis etc... most I can remember but some obscure ones I just can't.. I don't like to see labels left on plants although it can be interesting when you do find one all of a sudden..
Fire... I'm seriously impressed, it seems terribly clever... even if you think it isn't..
When planted, I enter the exact location of the plant on a garden map on my computer, created with the Garden Planner software.
Do you do this for every plant??? If so I'm very impressed.
How long did it take you to make an accurate plan of your garden and all its beds? I did once, many years ago, write my own software that let me draw a map of my garden and add beds to it, and then add plants to each bed. The only problem was producing an accurate map! No matter how carefully I measured things they never quite tied up with reality! And I didn't have a database of plants, so adding plants generally involved a lot of typing. Does garden Planner have a big database of plants?
M, it's really not that clever, it took a few hours one evening over the winter. I do like tech though, which probably helps. It retrospect I think my plan would be better organised like an ordinance survey map, the plan broken into squares/a grid, with numbers along the top and letters down the side of the map. I could then note what plant was in square A6 or N7. I think I did give it a go, but only thought of it after I'd drawn things out. Next time it would be easier the OS way. I do have really small gardens - so it's a very much easier job than for many on the forum. I also have narrow borders, so it's not that hard to keep track of.
[...] In retrospect I think my plan would be better organised like an ordinance survey map, the plan broken into squares/a grid, with numbers along the top and letters down the side of the map. I could then note what plant was in square A6 or N7.
That's how my garden plan looks. Associated with a printed list of all the plants with their coordinates it makes it easy for visitors to spot the plants by name. The on-line version makes it even easier, with clickable pins which link to a photo and detailed info.
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Fire... I'm seriously impressed, it seems terribly clever... even if you think it isn't..
How long did it take you to make an accurate plan of your garden and all its beds? I did once, many years ago, write my own software that let me draw a map of my garden and add beds to it, and then add plants to each bed. The only problem was producing an accurate map! No matter how carefully I measured things they never quite tied up with reality! And I didn't have a database of plants, so adding plants generally involved a lot of typing. Does garden Planner have a big database of plants?