I have photoshop. I didn't know it took audio files! How do I find that feature?
Do you all make notes to yourself?
I think my program allows that too.
I’m at work now and can’t be sure of the directions, if someone does not answer before, I’ll let you know tonight. For now, click on the pic, show properties, you should see a speaker icon, click that and it will say insert audio file. Sorry that’s the best I can do without having the program open in front of me.
I'll give it a try. Thanks Donna!
Hmmmm, It's not working. I have Photoshop CS3, the full program. What version do you have?
Harper
This is a great thread! I found it so interesting to see how everyone attacks this common problem we all seem to have. I am not nearly as organized as many of you. I have begun to tag my plants - especially my daylilies as Pixie and Pirl tell me what they are named - LOL - I make little notes like several of you do, and I stick them in a file folder I have on my desk. It is labeled "Plant info" and it is a catch all for all the little notes and tags that I refer to over and over. When I buy a plant with an info tag on it, I put the date on it, and the name of the person who gave it to me if it was a gift. The main thing I do is draw a map of each garden with the location of each plant that is in it. That way I know what I've lost after each winter if things don't come back up where they are supposed to be. I'm still searching for a foolproof permanent marker that won't fade, but that has a fine enough tip to get lots of into on the marker. On my computer, I keep a file for each house where I log each new plant by date and with all its vital statistics. The files are organized by yard locations or names of flower beds.
A drawn map is the best, in my opinion, but keeping up with it isn't easy and there are always so many changes when I want to enter a new plant of importance. I don't bother with annuals since I change my mind each year.
Labels fade, Sharpies fade very fast, metal signs get rusted and broken legs, rocks or stones with labels can get hidden by leaves, and photos are a huge help but paper works best if it's kept up to date.
I just skimmed through this thread cause as usual I'm way behind. I used the Brother P-Touch for my labels last year and they are still going strong. I have the metal markers and use the laminated tape and so far so good!! Time will tell if they hold up. I also keep a map of where everything is and I try to keep it up-to-date!! Eleanor
Harper, I'm using PS Elements 4.2 but I still have Elements 3.0.1 on the pc and it is there also. I'm not sure if CS if different from Elements.
We have found that P-touch with 3/4 inch tape works well. Only a couple tapes have shredded. We have a label maker for it, don't use a computer. Yes we use medal labels & they will rust, but they stand up pretty well. Plastic breaks easily.
Zinc ones should not rust.
I think I have the zinc ones and they haven't rusted. I could look it up, but I only have a few minutes - I'm supposed to be cleaning cause I don't have Colin today. Yes, I've tripped over them and they bend, but i just bend them back and they look like they've been bent!! But they serve the purpose and after the plants spread and fill in you can't see them anyway. Better get back to work. Eleanor
Fascinating thread. I'm impressed by some folks' organization and diligence, and comforted by others' problems with NOIDS, random little bitty pieces of paper, etc. (I am not ALONE!)
I don't think anyone has mentioned utilizing the DG Garden Journal tool. I started doing this last Fall, and find that I manage to check in and record what's happening with my garden about every two weeks or so. Not really a substitute for detailed notes in a notebook or on Photo Shop, but at least I have an over-all record of what's going on--plus I make notes of disasters and mini-triumphs. And maybe I'll even consult my journal next year! LOL!
I have found one thing that helps but am so far behind. I do this in the winter. I started this with my hostas while trying to find names for them and I am going to do it with more flowers this year. I go to Plant files and find my plant. I then print off the info. I take another piece of paper and staple together for my own notes and then put all in one of these accordian folders. This is about as organized as I get. I want to also put pics with each one. BEV
great idea Bev
This is getting really crazy! I bought 5 columbines. One purple and white. Then I picked up 4 more. I thought I had 2 more different ones - Red/Gold and Red/White. I started to collect the seed and come to find out there was another one - Hobbit. So now the seeds sit, as I dont know what plant is what as of right now as there is no blooms. I am a DINGY
Wow! Some of you are super organized 9a nice way of saying OCD) about your gardens! I used to do grid-maps for the garden at the start, and then intuit the rest, but I have now got the intuitive part down pat, so I would say that I am an IntuitiveGardener. Basically, I let the faeries tell me what to plant. Often, when i have ssaid I can't afford THAT! they plant it themselves. It is quite convenient. Just the other day, I was going to stop on the side of the road and dig out some BlackEyed Susans that have escaped all over up here, but there was a deep drainaged ditch so i couldn't do it. I have been wanting BES for some time now. Yesterday, I found a stand growing in our "meadow". See how it works? Anyone ever hear of Findhorn in Scotland? That's my gardening method :-))
My Idiot Savantium outstanding in his field today....
My Fuschia in its second CRAZY bloom...
again
Pretty pic. That is hummingbird paridice. BEV
I guess I'm more organized than I thought. In the garden, I mostly just throw plants wherever there's room, or where I feel like. Then each Fall, I move many things around to where I think they should be. I try to keep a running "to do" list, and usually sticky notes all around my computer!
I keep a 3 x 5 card file on (most) my plants. Some I cut out the pic and info from the flower/seed catalogs. Others, I get info from the internet and print them out. This is usually one of my winter projects. I'd like to put them all in a big Rolodex someday.
I also made a Garden Notebook. I saw one advertised in garden catalogs a few years back and didn't want to spend the money on it, so I made my own.
I have sections on Winter Sowing, Gardening by the Moon, Companion Planting, Cottage Gardening, Yearly Orders, Garden Design (graph paper designs of each bed), Plant Notes & Observations ( my seed-sowing log, winter-sowing log, and A-Z tabs for plant notes), and Monthly To-Do Lists.
Here's the card files:
Here's my notebook:
And here's a sample bed plan:
That's impressive, Sue. Another thing I do is jot down on the calender when I plant things, and when I remember - when flowers start to bloom. I keep my calenders. Also, on the receipts that I keep (or packing lists), I write down where I planted each plant.
I like your calendar idea, Victor, I think I'll try that next year.
Thanks. I bought a journal about ten years ago which was supposed to be the place for all this. Never cracked it open.
I have calander jottings but might have to relay the info to my computer.
The calander is weekly but starts with the First of January that was a tuesday, so all the weeks start with Tuesday. I have to write the day in.Just annoying.It was a gift.
I take a photo of the order I received and in the unlimited space allowed for "description" I enter where each item was planted. Then there are individual photos of each planting spot with the bulbs, in this case, spread out on the soil, so I know where to expect to see them.
That's a great idea - but I'm just too lazy!
That's what I've been doing this year...sort of similiar to Pirl.
I will take a pic of the order(s) that I get in...which is slowing down! And I write down where they will be going. By the end of August, beginning of September I hope to have my raised bed filled in/completed, and my new hosta bed completed. I'm also moving around A LOT of DL's...I think they are definitely not getting as much sun as what they should be getting...so, in their place, I'm putting some of the hostas that I have in 3 gallon pots. Or I might be offering them up to peeps from here.
Please for the love of everything sacred, if anyone out there needs/wants spiderworts (I have 4 colors of them) or 'Stella D'oro' or 'Black eyed Stella' daylilies, please, PLEASE let me know...lol.
This will make more room in my beds, and I will be able to finally graph this one out. I do the graphing thing backward...I don't graph it out until the bed is done, because, to me, that is when I can actually edit. Or, I can finally say, "this bed is done." It sort of becomes "final." I will swap plants either in or out, but usually just leave it alone.
Your last line is why I don't do maps or grids - they're never done. I am always moving, changing, etc. Plants take over and have to be thinned or deleted. They wither away or die, etc.