Journal Prompts for Reflecting on Your Garden Season
For Type A Perfectionists and Planners, we are entering a very busy season. The New Year prompts us to reflect on the highs and lows of the year, measuring progress toward our goals, setting new goals and resolutions, and setting up all sorts of notebooks, trackers, and routines to help us reach them. I’m itching to break out my big stash of markers, pens, and gold-star stickers and get to work!
Many people know that spending a bit of time reflecting, planning, and journaling is a good idea for work and personal life, but your gardening life can really benefit too. Each garden season is unique, filled with successes, struggles, and lessons. By reflecting on this year’s chapter, you can capture its wisdom and inspiration, setting yourself up for even more success next season. So, grab your garden journal—or start one if you haven’t yet—and scroll through the photo roll on your phone. The snapshots of overflowing baskets, blooming flowers, and perhaps a few garden experiments gone awry will jog your memory and make the process both productive and fun. Think about all the moments your garden gave you this year—maybe it was the first sweet crunch of a sun-ripened cherry tomato, a row of vibrant zinnias that made you smile each morning, or the humbling battle with a never-ending attack of squash vine borers (little devils!).
Here are some questions to guide your look back. Let the memories flow, and don’t be afraid to get specific. If you’re short on time, one-word answers or a simple list of plants will still be useful.
What tasted best?
Anything just “meh?”
What was really productive? Was it too much? Not enough?
What do you wish you grew more of?
What was beautiful?
What looked bad? Or had boring points in its life cycle? Do you care?
What was fascinating?
What attracted bees and butterflies?
What didn’t produce at all?
Any ideas why? (think about sun, water, soil, pests, or diseases)
If you grow those plants again, what will you do differently?
What took a lot of time and effort? Was it worth it? Can you eliminate or automate this work?
What new plants, tools, or processes would you like to try?
What’s the state of your soil? Might be time to get it tested.
For your perennial plants, shrubs, and trees: are any in need of dividing, trimming, or pruning?
Do you like the height and size of your garden beds? Do you need trellises or other supports? Irrigation or a rain barrel? Did any tools wear out or did you find yourself needing a tool you don’t have?
Has your garden journal served you in this process? Do you wish you had more notes? More photos, certain data?
Overall, are you happy with your garden? Why or why not? What other feelings does the garden elicit?
Keep these notes handy as you enter the planning process. Each year you can build on your knowledge and experience to grow more food, flowers, and fun than ever before. Reflection is more than just a task; it’s a way to celebrate how your garden has grown—not just the plants, but also you as a gardener. On New Year’s Eve, let’s toast to the harvests and the lessons learned, and wish for a little more beauty and bounty for everyone. Cheers!
