Learn how to make your own DIY garden journal log book to record your garden ideas, plans and goals for each year. It‘s easy when you use a free printable garden journal template created in Google slides for simple customization. Get ideas about which pages to include for your garden needs, then edit away. When you have created the pages you want to use, you can either print the garden journal logbook or keep the garden journal in a digital format. The important thing is to find an easy garden journal method that works for you. As a librarian you is also a gardener, I am a huge fan of getting organized and having a place to record garden successes, failures, planting and planning ideas. Let‘s get started with creating your own garden journal logbook so you will have a place to put your garden plans and ideas as well.
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Why I Love Using a Garden Journal Logbook
Personally, I prefer to print out my garden journal logbook and keep the pages in a 3-ring binder. That way, I can take my notebook with me when I am planting. I like to sketch my vegetable garden layout ahead of time, and it is helpful to me to have a record of which plants went in certain locations from year to year. I try to avoid planting the same vegetables in the same location repeatedly, and my garden journal logbook helps me keep track. When I plant my dahlias, I arrange them carefully by height and color. My garden journal logbook helps me keep track of each dahlia tuber.
Some people might prefer to have a digital garden record on a laptop or phone. That certainly can be done with this Google slides garden journal template. However, my garden notebook tends to get set on the ground. If it gets a bit of dirt on it, it‘s easy to clean off. Just like donning my favorite gardening clothes, my garden journal comes out with me to the garden, especially during planting time.
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Why Use Google Slides for Your Free Garden Journal Logbook Template?
There are many advantages to designing and creating your garden journal logbook in Google slides. First of all, Google Slides is free. For those wishing to keep an online garden journal, Google Slides can be accessed from any device with an internet connection, allowing you to update your garden journal from anywhere, whether you’re in your garden or on the go. If you choose to print out your garden journal logbook (which is what I do), you can easily update your online garden journal template, making improvements as you discover which pages work best for you, then print pages as needed.
Google Slides provides tools for organizing your journal entries into slides, making it easy to create sections for different aspects of your garden, such as planting, maintenance, and harvest. Google Slides offers a wide range of formatting options, allowing you to customize the appearance of your journal to suit your preferences and make it visually engaging. You can easily embellish your garden journal with images and clip art. I purposefully left the pages without decoratie elements so you could add in your favorites. You can even upload your own images, if you like.
Google Slides is very versatile. A garden journal logbook made with Google Slides can be saved as a PDF and printed. It can also be saved as a PowerPoint slideshow, if you prefer working with that program.
For those who prefer to keep a digital garden journal logbook, you can easily add photos, sketches, charts, and other multimedia elements to your journal entries in Google Slides. Your garden journal is automatically saved and synced to your Google account, providing a reliable backup and ensuring that you don’t lose your valuable gardening records.
Why Start a Garden Journal Logbook?
Starting a garden journal logbook offers several benefits for both novice and experienced gardeners. Keeping a garden journal log is a rewarding and insightful practice that enhances your gardening experience, promotes learning, and creates a lasting record of your horticultural journey. Here are compelling reasons to begin a garden journal:
Record-Keeping: A garden journal serves as a centralized place to record essential information about your garden, including planting dates, varieties, and maintenance activities. This organized documentation can be valuable for future reference.
Learning and Improvement: Tracking your gardening experiences allows you to learn from successes and challenges. By noting what works well and what doesn’t, you can make informed decisions, refine your gardening techniques, and improve your skills over time.
Seasonal Planning: A garden journal helps you plan for each season. You can document when to plant, prune, fertilize, or harvest specific plants. This forward-thinking approach contributes to a well-maintained and productive garden.
Plant Performance: Keep track of how each plant performs in your garden. Note flowering times, growth patterns, and any diseases or pest issues. This information aids in selecting the right plants for your garden’s conditions.
Garden Design and Layout: Document changes to your garden’s layout and design. Note which combinations of plants work well together and consider adjustments based on aesthetic preferences or practical considerations.
Reflection and Enjoyment: A garden journal provides a space for personal reflections on your gardening journey. Express your feelings, joys, and challenges. Looking back on these reflections can enhance your overall gardening experience.
Wildlife Observations: Note the presence of birds, insects, and other wildlife in your garden. Record any changes in biodiversity, as this contributes to a greater understanding of your garden’s role in the local ecosystem.
Goal Setting: Set gardening goals and track your progress. Whether it’s improving soil quality, expanding your garden, or growing specific plants, a journal helps you stay focused and motivated.
Companion Planting: Document your experiences with companion planting. Note which plants thrive together and which combinations may not be as successful. This information aids in planning future plant arrangements.
Creativity and Expression: Use your garden journal as a creative outlet. Include sketches, photographs, or pressed flowers. Let your personality shine through as you document the beauty and uniqueness of your garden.
Family Heirloom: A garden journal can become a treasured family heirloom. Pass it down to future generations, providing insights into your gardening legacy, favorite plants, and the evolution of your garden over time.
Similar to a Garden Bullet Journal
This printable garden journal logbook is similar to a garden bullet journal in a variety of ways. For example, the classic bullet journal pages are made of small dots arranged in a grid format. This garden journal logbook is made of pages with faint grid lines, which makes it ideal for sketching a garden layout. Other similarities between this garden journal logbook and a garden bullet journal include the table of contents and an area for you to create a key for shortcut symbols, if you wish.
A garden bullet journal might include monthly, weekly, and even daily overviews of schedules or tasks. This garden journal logbook can include those pages as well. The pages in this garden journal logbook may be adapted to keep a log of pests, diseases, harvesting details and weather, just as with a garden bullet journal. The pages in this free printable garden journal may also be used to record ideas and reflections, and goals.
The Different Types of Pages in this Free Garden Journal Logbook Template and How to Use Them
How do you make a garden journal using this garden journal template? This garden journal logbook template may be customized in many ways, starting with the types of pages and the number of pages you choose to add. Your garden journal logbook may turn out to be just 14 pages, with a cover, monthly pages, and a garden layout page. If you would like to print out weekly planner pages as well as monthly planner pages, your garden journal logbook might be around 70 pages (or 35 pages, double -sided). For those of you who like to be super organized and print out daily planning sheets as well, your journal may be around 200 double-sided pages. Do whatever meets your needs. Here are the different types of pages and possible uses:
Customized Garden Journal Logbook Cover
The cover for this garden journal logbook has a subtle background of pansies. Since the design is lightly-colored, you can print it out in color without using a lot of your colored ink supply. Customize the text in the text box to name your garden journal as you wish. Print it in black and white if you prefer.
Customized Garden Journal Logbook Table of Contents, Monthly Planner, Daily Planner
The next type of sheet included in this garden journal logbook are pages that have a large blank white space. The white space may be filled with text boxes and customized for a variety of uses. In addition to using this type of page for a table of contents and symbol key, you may also use this type of page for a monthly calendar planner. Duplicate and add as many calendar pages as you wish, customizing with month names and dates to fit the corresponding year. You may also choose to leave the date number boxes blank and hand write them in later. You can add events in while editing in Google slides, or choose to leave the Events text box blank and hand write events in later, if you wish.
The blank white space page may also be used as a daily planner if you have a special day when you need to schedule tasks each hour throughout the day. This page is ideal for party planning or listing tasks that need to be accomplished on a particular day. You could also use this page as a plant shopping list or create to-do lists for upcoming tasks, whether it’s planting new additions, fertilizing, or planning changes to your garden layout.Customize it as needed.
Customized Garden Journal Logbook Weekly Planner
Also included in this garden journal logbook template is a weekly planner, with a box for each day of the week. You can choose to duplicate the weekly planner page and add as many as you like.Customize the text boxes as you wish in Google slides, or leave the boxes blank for writing your own dates and notes as you wish.
The weekly planner template page may also be used as a harvest log, a plant profile page, or a weather log. Those options are included in the basic template. This type of page could also be used to log different kinds of garden pests.
Blank Grid Garden Journal Logbook Garden Layout Planner
The final type of page included with this printable garden journal logbook template is a grid page. There is a white box near the top for putting in a title if you want to label the page. Other than that, the page is just a grid. You can use the gridlines to guide your drawing of a garden layout.
You might want to use faded grid lines for writing. The basic garden journal logbook template includes Reflections and Goals pages with faded grid lines to guide your writing if you choose to use the garden journal and planner page for jotting down reflections, goals, ideas, or plans for future garden areas. You could also use the faded grid lines page template for a supply list.
Organizing Your DIY Garden Journal
Here are step-by-step-instructions for printing and organizing your garden journal logbook.
Step 1: Access the free garden journal logbook pages and make your own copy.
Click here to access the free 20-page garden journal template!
To make your own customizable copy, go to File, then Make a Copy, and select Entire Presentation.
Step 2: Duplicate and edit text on pages as needed
You will probably want to make duplicate copies of some of the pages. For example, to duplicate the Monthly planner page, you would click on that page to select it, then go to the menu above and click on Slide, then go down to Duplicate slide. A duplicate will appear, then you can edit it with the month name and add dates if you wish.
Step 3: Insert images and clip art to decorate, if you wish.
To customize and add decorative images to garden journal logbook pages, if desired, you can just go to Insert, then go down to Image, then slide across to Search the web.
You will see a search area appear on the right, and you can type in a word you would like to search for, like apple, heart, flower, wheelbarrow, or whatever you would like to insert on a page. Once you have found an image you like, you can insert it and arrange it wherever you like on the page.
Step 4: Print your garden journal logbook as a PDF.
All changes you make will automatically save in your Google Drive. When you have finished customizing the garden journal logbook template pages you want you use, print the garden journal as a pdf. To do this, go to File in the top menu bar, go down to Download, then slide across to the drop-down menu and choose PDF document.
Once your file has downloaded, you can choose to print it double-sided or single-sided, depending on the number of pages you chose to include.
Step 5: Organize the Pages Into a Notebook
Get a 3-ring binder. You can go as fancy or plain as you wish. If you get one with a clear cover, you could insert the printed garden journal cover on the outside of the notebook.
Use a 3-hole punch to punch holes in the pages.
Add dividers to sections, if desired.
There you go! Your customized garden logbook planner is ready to be used or given as a gift. Want to reuse the same notebook every year? You can put your old garden planner pages in a folder for easy reference, if you like.
The Best Garden Journal is One You Can Customize to Work for You
As you think of your own garden journal ideas, you can adjust this garden journal planner logbook template to fit your needs. Reuse the template year after year to fit your plans, goals and designs. With this garden journal template, you will be able to create a customized garden journal notebook personalized just for you.
Creating a garden journal is a wonderful way to document your gardening experiences, track plant growth, and capture valuable insights. Remember, your garden journal is a personal reflection of your gardening journey. Feel free to customize it based on your preferences and the specific information you find most valuable for your gardening endeavors.
Need Some Planting Ideas?
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Free Online Garden Planner Layout Template
Prefer to arrange your garden layout online first? Whether you are planting vegetables, flowers, or herbs, this online garden planner can help you visualize your design and bring it to life. Use it as a companion to the printable garden journal logbook pages. With garden tasks that need your attention, this is one way to save time. You can print it out and add it to your garden planner notebook.
It’s fully customizable when you make your own copy and includes two editable chart pages for noting planting specifications.
Get my free online garden layout planner template!
Have fun creating your own garden journal logbook, and may all of your garden planning endeavors meet with success!
Lisa Mitchell is a wife, mom, and school librarian who likes to grow fruit, herbs, vegetables, and flowers on her family’s small Pacific Northwest farm. To learn more about what this website has to offer gardeners, click on over to theGardenpage.
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