The Benefits of Keeping a Creative Garden Journal

Hey friends! D Michele Perry here from The Wonder Habit™ Substack & Instagram.  

As an avid gardener, I have run into this challenge myself. How do I keep all my research and information straight about the plants I want to grow? Where do I record my own observations?  How do I proactively learn about the amazing details and journey of growing a food forest?

What I didn’t expect were the additional benefits of keeping a creative garden journal.

Obviously, a garden journal or commonplace book gives us space to plan and dream about the plants we grow. It helps with organization. And learning.

But keeping a creative garden journal turned me into a researcher in my own backyard. It encouraged me to actually study and delight in the details I could observe and make my own notes. It awakened my curiosity and a sense of discovery that really only happens when I’m exploring new things.

In helping me pay attention to all the beautiful details, it even connected me more deeply with my creativity.  Let’s dive in!

Our Supplies

Here are the supplies I use regularly in my garden journal.  (You can use my code DMP to get a discount on any of the supplies you pick up from Archer and Olive.)

• Archer and Olive Dot Grid Notebooks:  I’m using an A5-sized notebook in this project.
• Archer and Olive Calliograph Pens: I’ve used a whole range of water-based markers and these are far and away are my favorites. But don’t hesitate to start by using what you have. 
• Archer and Olive Stamp Pads
• A Uni Pen or equivalent pigment ink fine liner. Pigment ink is less likely to smudge once dry when you go over it with a water-based marker or pen.
• Watercolor or gouache paints
• A pencil
• A ruler or straightedge

If you are more of a video watcher than a post reader, here is the link to the video version of this post on YouTube.

Fun Pro Tip… When planning out where content will go in a new notebook use sticky notes to write down what will go where until you are ready to create it.

What’s In a Creative Garden Journal?

The short answer… whatever information and content you want to put in it.  There is no way to get this wrong.

I keep several kinds of information in my garden journal, depending on what feels most helpful. 

• A seasonal sketch of what I want to plant where.  This can be so helpful for planning.
• Growing times and charts. I live in north Florida, so we have 2-3 growing seasons and they don’t behave like normal zones. It gets confusing without a plan. 
• Sometimes I journal about why I want to grow certain plants. Knowing my why keeps me motivated when I really don’t want to drag another bag of mulch in 90º F weather.
• Are they pollinator-friendly? Give me all the fuzzy bumbles, butterflies, and hummingbirds, please.
• Can I use them for creating dyes and inks? Artist goals here.
• Are they native wild edible plants I might forage for?
• Do they support microclimates in my yard for growing a food forest? In other words, do they provide ground cover to protect the soil, or shade to protect other plants? Do they serve a supportive purpose for plants around them?
• Are they perennials?
• Can I make herbal teas and medicinal preparations from them?
• Would they be something I would purchase in the grocery store?
• Are they sustainable?
• Do they provide concentrated nutrition in a special way? I have a mini forest of Moringa trees because I am partial to superfoods.
• Could they provide for my neighbors in a hard time?
• Keeping track of budgets for projects because setting me loose in a garden center without a budget is a smidge dangerous to my wallet.
• What dream projects do I have for my garden? Putting it on paper is a huge step closer to it actually happening.
• What have I tried that isn’t working and how will I change it?

Those are some of the big-picture things I keep track of, but the real magic happens in the botanical details.

Let’s Create a Botanical Details Page Together

The botanical details pages are where I put my want-to-be botanist explorer hat on and create a space specific to each plant I grow in each season.

These pages include a botanical style sketch or sketches from direct observation of the plant, with notes about details I notice.  This isn’t about creating the perfect art piece, but training my observational skills to notice details.

They also include some combination of the following information:

• Plant Name: This is usually the common name and other names the plant might be called.
• Scientific Name/Family: Sometimes common names are confusing and it helps to have the scientific name when looking for specific seeds and things.
• Growing and Care: What conditions does it need? Temperature range. Watering frequency. What kinds of nutrition? Know pest problems?
• Other Important Information: a generic place for miscellaneous content and observations.
• Plant Uses: Is it edible? What is it used for? Can it be made into tea? Is it good for making skin care products? Can it make dyes?
• Safety Notes: Is it toxic to humans or pets? What safety precautions should be taken around it? (This is really important with certain toxic ornamental plants.)
• If the plant is safe to use, how is it best prepared? 
• What folklore, symbolism, and/or stories are associated with this plant? What is its history? Where did it originate?  Spoiler, I’m a straight-up nerd so I want to know all the things.

I have a handy layout template you can use to customize and create your own based on what’s important to you.

But What If Drawing Isn’t My Thing?

I totally get it. I’ve got you covered.

First, I’m going to suggest you grab a pencil and just sketch a few details that would help you recognize the plant if you were to see it in the wild.  

You don’t have to be a botanical illustrator to capture simple jagged leaf edges or draw simple circles around a stem to give the impression of flower petals.

Here’s the truth from a professional artist. We never draw the whole plant at one time. We are only ever drawing one tiny part at a time. 

It doesn’t have to be perfect or polished. It can just be what makes sense to you.

But, there is another really fun way to capture details, like the veins on the leaves.

 All you need is some newsprint or plain copy paper, a leaf, and an ink pad.

Use the leaf like a stamp to capture the details of the veins and edges. 

If you don’t want to stamp directly in your notebook, use a piece of simple plain paper and then cut it out.  Use washi tape to add it to your creative garden journal.

Then you can add the wow factor to your sketch or print by adding gouache or watercolor paint to capture some of the color.

If paint isn’t your thing, Archer and Olive’s Calliograph pens are the perfect option for coloring in the botanical details.

As you look towards planting your spring garden, starting a creative garden journal can be a purposeful way to pass the cold winter months.

It can also be a great help when you start thinking about starting your seeds for spring planting.

Gardening can be such a powerful way to stay connected to the seasons and the land around you.  Pairing it with a creative garden journal doesn’t just help your garden grow, it helps cultivate creativity as well.

If you’ve found this article helpful, don’t forget to check out the video:

And please share these resources with anyone you know who might find them helpful as well.