plants. what's in a name...

More than "what's in a name," what's the name of that plant!  I have a terrible memory when it comes to remembering plant names.  I learned long ago (and the hard way) that saving those little stakes that come with your plants is a good idea.  When we moved to the house we live in now, the first Spring was a planting frenzy.  Though the previous owners had some great landscaping already in place, we had a lot of ideas about changing some beds and adding new ones.  Drawing out your ideas is one great way to figure out a plan before you start digging. 

Here are some design ideas that for the most part, came to fruition a few years later.  That's the point; you can draw it out and make changes once you get into it.  I keep drawings like this, along with plant label stakes each year, so that I can go back and re-familiarize myself with certain plants and where they went.  It also reminds me of plants that didn't do so well, and to think twice before loading up flats of those at the nursery.

I delegate a see-through page protector pocket for each year, so that when I say "oh yeah, I just planted that shrub last year," I can really go back and look to see that I had actually planted it three years previous.  This all goes in one big binder.  I even keep seeds in there that have been harvested from year to year. 

I won't say that I run to the binder every time I buy a new plant to place the stake inside, but I definitely get them all in there by the end of the season.  It's just simply a great way to keep up with your plantings, and, you can look like a rock star to your friends when you know the names of all the plants in your yard!

~alice