One of the highlights of my horticultural career has been
visiting Thomas Jefferson's home and gardens. Jefferson is looked on as one of
the New World's premier gardeners.
He tried every crop he could get his hands on. He ordered seed from catalogs and
requested seeds from friends in the Colonies and in Europe. He grew, fertilized,
tended, watered and watched for the first fruits. He knew how big they grew,
when they were ripe to harvest and, most important, how good they were.
How do we know? He kept a garden book. Even while he was president, his gardens
at home were never far from his thoughts.
Everyone wanted to enjoy the bounty of the Jefferson table. He was renowned for
the diversity and quantity of food available. Even though it ultimately cost him
his fortune, Jefferson was unfailing in his hospitality, treating his guests to
the delicious joys of his gardens and orchards.
Buy a notebook and, like Jefferson, use it to keep all your gardening
information. [NOTE from your friendly Webmaster: when gardening at school,
let all the students contribute to a classroom notebook, or let each child keep
his or her own!]
Are you trying to remember the name of that great-tasting tomato you grew last
year? Always list what you plant in the garden. Include the name of the seed
companies, plant names, cultivars, planting dates, and harvest dates.
During the growing season, keep notes on how well the plant does. Does it fruit
as the catalog says it will?
If the cultivar develops disease, record what you used to treat any problems.
Did it go through unusual rain or drought, drops in temperature or long, hot
days? How did the plant respond?
All this information will be helpful in planning future gardens. Most of us
can't remember all this information. It's valuable to record it for future
reference.
Write down what types of plants you didn't have this year that you wish you'd
planted. Make your record book a "wish book" for next year's garden.
Wayne McLaurin is a horticulturist with the University of Georgia College of
Agricultural and Environmental Sciences.