Keeping Records

I believe it is essential for the Gardener to take thorough notes. Keeping notes is important for beginning and experienced Gardeners. Such actions keep us in a space of openness to learn and grow.  The naive and human-centered me used to think that once you'd done it, you knew it all. 

Gardening introduces a kind of complexity of thinking and being that cannot be described.  It is a dance between the Gardener and the Earth.  The Earth always takes the lead.  We Humans simply need to be listening up to any and all of the cues. 

Things happen fast. Sometimes keeping thorough notes is not possible or it just doesn't happen. Regardless, teachings should be recorded. There's no sense repeating mistakes from before. And there is every reason to repeat practices that work.

I was looking into my record book and the planting calendars which I had prepared last year fell out. I had forgotten all about them. I prepared the calendars from the Vegetable Planting Calendar from the Missouri University Extension Service. The MU Calendar includes info on specific Veggies. My calendar integrates decisions across Veggies according to dates. The MU Calendar is an excellent resource. My little "Tweaking" of it makes it a little more useful as we look at the flows of the Season and the daily choices as to what to plant. Gratefully, we are mostly on target for what we have planted to date. A few Veggies were planted outside the "window".  My little Calendars just give us more focus.