WHY I'M GOING TO USE A GARDEN JOURNAL FOR THE FIRST TIME

I have always resisted journaling. I'm sure that part of that is related to a bad journaling experience I had in eighth grade when a teacher who required us to journal every day took quite literally what I had written, which in my mind was the start of one of the many of my novels that have never gotten past the first chapter. I was writing fiction, she thought (as one probably would) that I was writing nonfiction, there was a meeting with a guidance counselor and I never journaled again.

The other issue I've had with it is that it is not in my nature to just jot things down. I like full sentences and a story and there is no time for that every day. That turns a journal into a task and I don't really need any more of those.

When I started this blog almost eight years ago, it was my de facto gardening journal. I figured if I was going to keep track of this stuff I might as well share it. Well that changed, and thankfully so as it is painful to look back at those first posts.

I picked up this pretty set of simple journals (affiliate link*) for my first crack at keeping a written garden journal. 

But two things happened recently that have made me change my mind about keeping a garden journal for the first time.

The first was seeing the journals of my friend Linda, who blogs at Each Little World. They are works of art and she is on volume 21. What a treasure trove of information they must contain.

The other revelation I had was in reading my vacation book: Cuttings: A Year in the Garden with Christopher Lloyd (that's an affiliate link*). Prepare yourself because you're going to be hearing a lot about this book as it has been as informative for me as any gardening book I've read and it has my brain full of ideas. At some point while reading this book and subsequently looking at photos from last year's garden, I realized that the main fault with my garden is not design related, but maintenance related. I'm lazy or perpetually late on cutting back, staking, deadheading, moving and dividing plants and I really believe that if I up my maintenance game, the garden will be far better for it.

But the problem with these kinds of tasks is that I figure out too late when to cut things back by half (or I forget all together). If I knew how long it takes the nepeta on the path to grow back again after cutting back I could better time when it should be cut back in the first place (my recollection is two to three weeks, but that's all it is). And if I knew that in a week's time I'd be busy deadheading flowers or that I should have staked dahlias a week before I did, I could plan for these activities instead of not scheduling enough time to do them.

And then you factor in the crazy weather we've had this year. Two weeks ago it was 65 degrees. A photo that popped up on Facebook from four years ago reminded me of the more than foot of snow we had on February 27, 2013. Certainly there was not an aconite popping up in the garden at that time that year. Phenology fascinates me and as the climate changes it becomes more important and far more worthwhile to know the conditions during which a garden task is performed than the date it was performed on. And unless you have an exceptional memory, I don't know how you'd figure these things out for your own garden other than with the aid of journals.

Of course such information is of more use when there are several years to compare, so the real usefulness of a garden journal probably won't come until a few years down the road. But if I don't start now, I'll never get there.

The challenge for me will be keeping it simple and therefore manageable. I'll aim for note style, not prose, and hope to include weather observations, garden observations, notes about what I did in in the garden and notes about what I should have done differently. I didn't buy a specific journal for gardening because I doubt one would offer what I really need. I just bought a cheap but pretty (pretty always helps) journal that I can leave laying around and quickly grab. I consider it a bit of an experiment, but it's well past time that I start doing this.

Do you keep a garden journal?


* When you follow an affiliate link, I may receive a small commission if you make a purchase, which helps support these blogging endeavors. I do appreciate the support, so thank you!

GIFT GUIDE: BOOKS FOR GARDENERS

Call me a traditionalist, but I love giving and receiving books for Christmas. Especially now, when real live books (the kind with pages) seem to be a novelty with some folks. I enjoy having a library of gardening reference books in my home, and I refer to them often. Here are some picks for books that the gardener in your life (or, um, you) might like to add to their library this year.

A quick note: All of these are affiliate links to Amazon, and if you choose to buy there I certainly appreciate you using my link, but please don't forget about your local book store, should you be fortunate enough to have one. Most book stores can order books for you, mostly likely in time for holiday gift-giving.

Cuttings: A year in the garden with Christopher Lloyd: This book is at the top of my personal list. I enjoy the late Christopher Lloyd's writing so much and love soaking in his knowledge gained in his Great Dixter garden.

Lessons from the Great Gardeners: This is also on my wish list. I love reference books but I also like a book I can cuddle up with and read cover to cover during the long winter days. I also crave information from other gardeners and this certainly sounds like it fits the bill.

Gardenista: The definitive guide to stylish outdoor spaces: I've not seen this book but I think it would be inspirational for creative or renovating new spaces.

Native Plants of the Midwest: Native plants are hot, hot, hot in the world of gardening and this series of regional guides offers information on how to incorporate them in your landscape. Not from the Midwest: Here's the same guide for the Southeast.

Epic Tomatoes: I bought this book last year and I wish I'd had it sooner. Anyone who strives to grow that perfect tomato will want this.

Planting in a Post-Wild World: I'll just say that I don't care for the dystopian sounding title of this book, but the concept is intriguing. According to the description the book is a "practical guide that describes how to incorporate and layer plants into plant communities to create an environment that is reflective of natural systems and thrives within our built world."

The Plant Lover's Guide to Clematis: The Plant Lover's series of books is excellent and I can't recommend it enough. Anyone with an affinity for a particular plant will refer back to these regularly, as I do with this one on Clematis. The Plant Lover's series also has guides to Hardy Geraniums, Primulas, Ferns, Epimediums, Salvias, Dahlias (this one is on my list), Asters, Sedums, Tulips and Snowdrops.

Dirr's Encyclopedia of Trees and Shrubs: This isn't a new book but it is a hefty reference volume that any gardener with room to grow trees and and shrubs will enjoy having on his or her shelf. I gave it to my mom a few years ago and frequently swing by to look something up.  

Planting: A new perspective: There is no hotter gardener in the world at the moment than Piet Oudolf, whose prairie-inspired style (such as that found in Chicago's Lurie Garden) is much admired and often copied. Piet and his frequent partner Noel Kingsbury give the information needed to be successful with this style.

Rock Gardening: Reimagining a classic style: Rock gardening seems to be experiencing an resurgence but I feel like it's one those garden styles that can go bad quickly. This book imparts the knowledge of creating this style in an updated manner.

Will you be buying books as gifts this year?


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3 GREAT BOOKS FOR GIVING AND GETTING

I love giving and receiving books so perhaps it's serendipitous that it took me so long to write about this trio of books that that has inadvertently turned into a holiday shopping post.

The first is Charlotte Moss's Garden Inspirations. This oversized book is published by Rizzoli, which is known for beautiful, photo-filled books and this one is no exception. Page after page of gorgeous color-filled photos are a feast for the eyes.

The book is equally divided between matters of the garden and the interior, although the whole point of Charlotte Moss's way of thinking is that both of those areas should reflect each other. My absolutely favorite part of the book is a perspective drawing of her garden and house (I love it so much I think I'd like to have someone make one for me) that spans two pages, but every photo of her garden is incredibly inspirational. The photos of gorgeous table decorations and bouquets picked from the garden really put Martha Stewart to shame, not in the least because Charlotte Moss makes it look effortless while Martha certainly does not.

All photos courtesy of Rizzoli

But it's not just pretty pictures. Moss shares her go-to garden design tips, many gathered from a lifetime of touring great gardens all over the world, as well as interior design philosophies. I have a lot of books, but this is one that is beautiful enough to earn a spot on table, where it will be enjoyed, perhaps in bits and pieces, time and time again. Certainly any gardener or frequent entertainer would love this gem.

Next up is another beautiful book that will be a hit with gardeners with a strong appreciation for European history. A Day at Chateau de Vaux-le-Vicomte is a small book that comes in a beautiful little slipcase that is packed with great history and beautiful photos of the 17th century castle that inspired many of the great chateaux of Europe. The book is more about the castle than the gardens, although the two are obviously important to one another. If you have a Francophile on your list, this should be a hit.

And last on this little book tour is Habitat: The Field Guide to Decorating by Lauren Liess. To say that I'm enthusiastic about this book is putting it mildly. I love this thing (I preordered it months before it came out and sort of forgot about it so the surprise of receiving it was even sweeter). With Pinterest and Houzz, not to mention so many great blogs, one hardly needs to turn to books for interior design inspiration. So interior design books only appeal to me if I can get something from them other than a lot of pretty pictures (although I want those too, of course). If I'm going to shell out for a book, I want information that I can't get on a blog or website. I want to know HOW to make my house look like the ones in the pictures.

I've only bought two interior design books in recent memory: Sarah Richardson's Sarah Style and this book by Lauren (who I feel like I'm on a first-name basis with after reading her blog for several years), and that's because I happen to like both of their styles very much. Lauren's designs in particular have soul to them. I'm so sick of rooms that are so general anyone could walk into them and feel at home. I want my home to feel like me (or us). I want the objects in it to say something about me (so help me god if I ever buy books just because the spines are the right color to match my decor), and I think Lauren does this better than anyone. 

What's great about her book is that she details how to get certain looks and offers tips for every room in the house. She even weighs in on perennial design questions like mixing metals and creating a cohesive room. If you read decorating forums, you'll find that the holy grail of interior design is "timeless." No one wants a room that looks like it came out of a catalog circa 2000 (or any year, for that matter). Lauren tells you how to achieve that. I want to live in every room she designs and I can't think of higher acclaim than that. 

This book would be appreciated by anyone looking to create a home with soul, but I'll be honest. I don't think you should just buy it for your friends and family or wait for them to buy it for you. Pick it up; I promise you won't be disappointed (and this is coming from someone who paid more for it than it's currently selling for). 

What books will you be picking up for friends or yourself this year?

A note: I've provided links to all the books on Amazon, because who's kidding, that's the first place you think of when shopping for books. But if you have a great independently owned bookstore near you, please consider buying your books there. I don't mean to get preachy but there are few places in the world more comforting to be than a small, well-stocked bookstore where you can peruse to your heart's content and there are little signs on the shelf with recommendations from the staff.

The Language of Flowers

It's funny how just a couple weeks ago when I shared what I've been listening to while I paint, sand, weed and drive, I mentioned that it would probably be my first and last post on books. And here we are again.

But I had to share this book that I just listened to. It's another one that goes in the category of books I wish I would have read instead of listened to, and I probably will read it in a few months (or at least when it comes out in soft cover).

It's called The Language of Flowers by Vanessa Diffenbaugh. It's a lovely story about an orphan emancipated into adulthood and struggling to find her way in the world. The only thing she really cares about are flowers, and even more so, the meanings of flowers, a gift from the one caretaker she had in her entire childhood who actually cared about her. The book takes place both in the present tense and in the past, when she lived with her foster mother Elizabeth, who taught her all about the Victorian meaning of each flower.

The story is lovely, but it's especially interesting for gardeners, who may never look at a hydrangea again. I'll let you look it up for yourself in this flower dictionary on the book's website, but let's just say, if you care about such things it may not be the best choice for a bridal bouquet.

I found myself quite taken with the protagonist Victoria, and I love the idea of each bouquet of flowers sending a message to its recipient.

And now I'm off to study up on what flowers mean. I think today I could use a bouquet of ginger, sage and lupines. I think probably the worst bouquet a girl could get would be composed of yellow roses and tansies.

Books to paint by

Boy, I have been all over the place on the blog lately and we are about to enter a subject that I've never dealt with before and probably won't revisit anytime soon. I hope you all are at least a bit amused by these posts.

As you know I did a lot of the painting for our renovation. All of it, in fact, except for the living room and bedroom ceilings (after doing the kitchen ceiling I swore I'd never do it again) and three new doors. I couldn't even begin to estimate the amount of hours I spent painting, but I'm certain it's in the hundreds. I don't really mind projects that involve more busy work than mental stimulation and this includes another task I find myself doing frequently: weeding. In fact, after staring at a computer screen all day long for work, it's sort of nice. But I hate feeling like I'm missing out on something. I'm a multi-tasker to the core and always have been. If I'm not doing at least two things at once I feel like I'm wasting time. So when I discovered audiobooks (something I had previously thought was reserved for people with four-hour commutes and people with bad eyesight), it made all that painting (and weeding) that much better.

I just checked my iTunes library and I have 69 audiobooks. And most of those have been listened to in the last year. I have a few rules for choosing audiobooks:

1. I always read the reviews. Sometimes the book is great but the reader is horrible and it's ALL about the reader with audiobooks. I have a weird thing where I can't stand to hear the reader swallow when they are pausing between sentences. It's like bad table manners. For the same reason I'll often listen to the sample before I buy a book.

2. I don't like to listen to books that are too good. There are some books that I won't allow myself to listen to because I want to savor them, and more than a few books that I've listened to and been a little irritated with myself because it's so good I wish I would have read it. And I have gone back and read a couple of them (like the Stieg Larsson books).

3. I prefer female readers or an ensemble cast of readers. I get really irritated when male readers try to change their voice to read female dialogue.

4. Honestly, I often pick them based on length. They all cost basically the same (and since I now get them through a monthly subscription to audible.com they do all cost the same), I like to feel like I'm getting a lot for my money. I know, that's dumb.

5. I like to mix it up and listen to a variety of thrillers, unique sort-of indie fiction and even some chick lit. Every once in a while audible has a sale and I'll pick up something I never would have listened to otherwise. This experiment usually is a failure but sometimes there's a nice surprise.

Here are pictures of my entire audiobook library so you can see all the titles I've listened to. And trust me, some of them are more than a little embarrassing (Charlaine Harris vampire novels anyone?) Scroll down below the pictures to see my top picks.

 

 

 

 

My absolute No. 1 pick for an audiobook is Tina Fey's Bossypants. This book is hysterical to begin with but it is so great read by Tina herself. I actually listened to parts of it twice, and this is the only book I've done that for. (The opposite of this was Chelsea Handler's Are you there Vodka? It's me Chelsea which I found completely boring despite the fact that I love Chelsea Handler.)

 

Among the list of books that really were too good to be listened to and should certainly be read are the aforementioned Stieg Larsson books (which I LOVED, along with, apparently, the rest of the world), The Help, The Kitchen House (which is very similar in feel to the The Help but even better, in my opinion) and Ann Patchett's State of Wonder.

 

I'm a sucker for James Patterson and even though he puts out about two novels a year (if not more) which certainly has to affect the quality of his writing, I still find his books to be great reads/listens. This is the kind of book I love to travel with.

 

Bill Bryson's A Walk in the Woods is a book that I somehow missed hearing about when it came out several years ago. I absolutely loved this book, which is equal parts humor, adventure (and misadventure) and reality. This was another one read by the author and I think that makes it even better.

 

A big surprise for me was Garth Stein's The Art of Racing in the Rain which is, if you can believe it, told from point of view of a dog. Sounds corny, right? And maybe it is a little, but it's a charming corny. Generally I stay away from dog books (and movies) because invariably I end up bawling at the end, but this is a truly a heartwarming story. If you are a dog lover, you really should pick this one up.

 

And every once in a while I need to listen to something that is nothing but fun and that's when I plug into a little Janet Evanovich. OK, so it's a more than a little formulaic, but who among us doesn't see a little bit of the totally dysfunctional Stephanie Plum in ourselves?

After all that listening, I have to report that I am completely hooked on audiobooks even when I'm not painting or weeding. I listen to them in the car even though my commute is only 13 minutes from door to door. I listen to them when I'm cooking (although not when I'm baking because I tend to leave important ingredients out. Like sugar). I even listen to them when I'm running (or I should say attempting to run).

Anyone else hooked on audiobooks? Got any recommendations for me?