Dear Diary

Ten years ago, a dear friend – not a gardener, but a dear friend nevertheless- presented me with a really lovely 5 year gardener’s journal. I’ll bet you’ve seen something like it: inspirational garden thoughts, Tasha Tudor-esque illustrations, and a pretty pale green ribbon to mark your place. Not much room for notes, comments, ideas or plot plans, but a pretty gift.

I’ll admit that the book gathered dust on the shelf  for a couple of years until I realized that the gardeners I really respected actually did keep journals and suggested I do the same. I dusted off my journal and went at it. It took about a year to fill in the space allotted for five years with writing so tiny I needed a hand lense to decipher it. I’ve since moved on to a roomy (and impressive) three ring binder.

Tuesday is my day to tour my property, talking to my trees (don’t tell), noting what’s in bloom, what’s on the way out, what didn’t survive the winter ( don’t tell that, either. My family doesn’t know I’m not perfect), what has done so well it needs to be divided. My friends love that part. I keep track of temperature and rainfall, as well as any interesting weather patterns – this year will have its own chapter – and any problems with pests, (gasp! winter moth) or disease (has anyone seen as much powdery mildew as last year?)

Most important, I note where and when across the season the empty spots are. Winter-weary New Englanders tend to be fixated on spring flowers, and why not? How can anything be more beautiful to the winter-weary eye  (and nose) than the gardens of May? Lilacs and magnolias  and hyacinths and burkwood viburnums are our reward from coming through the winter alive.

But our gardens seem to be top-heavy with spring bloom and fall color, while they languish in the heat of summer. That’s the time to check your notes, analyze the empty or colorless spots, and consider all your yummy options. Come to us for ideas, then fill your yard with perennials and grasses and summer-flowering trees and shrubs. Stewartia, anyone? Clethra Ruby Spice? How about some sweet-smelling summer flowering azaleas in the sun, or a huge mound of cimicifuga in the shade? Don’t know about any of these guys? Check our website for photos and descriptions.

Certainly, annuals in the ground or in pots or planters are great fillers, but they don’t need to be the only flowering plants out there. And while there’s nothing more cozy than curling up by the fire to day dream through a blizzard about the garden in summer, there’s something to be said for a healthy dose of reality . A little work this year will insure a whole season of garden glory for years to come.

All you need is a journal.