How to Start a Garden Journal

How to Start a Garden Journal If you've wanted to start a garden journal (or get back to using one!), check out these tips from artist and teacher, Carrie Carlson. Connect with nature with a garden journal

A garden or nature journal is a great way to slow down, reconnect with the natural world and get to know your garden better. Carrie Carlson is an artist and teacher who brings her journal with her wherever she goes. When she sees something interesting, whether it’s in her yard or on one of her favorite walks, she makes a quick sketch or takes a few notes. Whether you’re interested in starting a journal to keep better records of your garden or would like another outlet for your creativity, Carrie has some tips that can help.

Keeping a journal is about really paying attention to the world around you and using images, words or even numbers to record what you see. You can include sketches, as Carrie does — see some of her journal pages here—or even write a poem. Or you can simply note facts: Count blooms, record dates, keep track of weather events. Everyone notices different things and has their own style — there’s no right or wrong way to keep a journal!

If getting started seems intimidating and you don’t know what to put in your journal, Carrie suggests focusing on one plant or a small area of the garden that you enjoy. Then look at it from different angles, count the plants, petals or leaves and note where are they positioned and how they relate to others nearby. Get curious and ask yourself questions about what you see.

If you come across a new plant, insect or bird, try not to check a field guide or your phone to identify it at first. Taking