Saturday, January 30, 2010

Behind The Times Garden Planning

Now that spring's almost here, so many are posting pictures of their garden plans. Every last one I've seen has been made in either an on-line garden hosting program, the google sketch, Excel and even Audocad (sp?). For however computer savvy I may consider myself to me, all of these programs are so far beyond me. I prefer graph paper and pencil. Yes, I hear the stomping of dinosaurs as well, and no, I didn't walk to school both ways uphill in the snow.

I'm not comfortable sitting in front of a computer and mapping things out. I get fidgety, or there's someone that needs something, and if I want a quick change in something I have to go to the computer, load the program, wait, and then fix it. Keeping my plans on paper allows me so much movement. I can take the plans to work or to watch the kids play in the park, but honestly, I mostly take them to the couch with me at night. Planning the garden and holding that pencil, knowing I can change the whole feel of the garden with one stroke is so cathartic to me. There are times when I just lay on the couch with the pad on my lap and never really change one thing, but I know that I could.

This year I've taken to keeping a graph paper notebook which is infinitely better than the loose leaf papers I have had scattered around. I've a colored graph for each season and each of my three garden sections have their own page within that season. For example:

This is this past fall's plan for the corner yard. It's obviously been well loved and I've written in actual planting days and successes and failures as the season continued. I have a red graph for each of the two other beds on the immediate following pages.
Here's the plan for the spring side yard. This is my section with the most sun and you can SERIOUSLY tell in the difference in production. The onions are already in place and I'm thinking of leaving the far right box empty and doing half of the left box with turnips and leaving the other half blank for early summer planting. I wrote several notes and questions to myself around the graph. I obviously got caught in the rain with this page opened.
Last, this is the tentative summer plan for the other corner yard, again with the questions and comments. The main corner yard's summer plan is going to be under serious review in April when I find out if I've gained any more sun with the removal of the overhanging tree. You can also see my notes in the first graph that acorns were a problem, but they should be greatly minimized this next year.
Looking at the graphs I realize that I need to change my color coordination. The blue should be fall, green spring like it is, and the red summer. I might do that for next year. The good thing about having it all in this notebook is that I can go back year after year and see what I planted where and try to rotate things as much as sun exposure/shade factor will allow.
How's your planting grids coming?
The morning comes early. Especially when you have a boy who doesn't understand it's against the law to wake up at 5:30 on the weekends.
Sweet gardening dreams.

26 comments:

  1. Oh you poor thing. 5:30, is very illegal! But your graphs look cool. I am working on mine. They aren't very technical. I kinda like the whole paper think. Mine is on graph paper too!

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  2. As a Graphic Designer, I use grids all the time when planning out layouts. I also did my garden plan in design software I was familiar with and use every day. Then I print it out and make notes in the margins and sketch changes.

    If I wasn’t so familiar with design software, I would also be sketching it out on graph paper too. I love your spiral notebook graph paper. And the water stains give the whole design character.

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  3. That's what we keep on trying to tell him, Zach. He's an obstinant bugger, he is.

    Mine aren't technical either. I just like the personalism the paper gives it.

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  4. GM, The water spots do give it character. I must say I also like the crinkle sound it gives to the paper.

    Man, am I a goober, or what?

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  5. Well, as you know from my blog, I prefer pencil and paper too. I don't think it's because we're dinosaurs (although I'm rapidly getting as old as one.

    As you say, there is just a great feel about the design process that is lacking when carried out on a computer screen.

    Johnson

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  6. Well, as you know from my blog, I prefer pencil and paper too. I don't think it's because we're dinosaurs (although I'm rapidly getting as old as one.

    As you say, there is just a great feel about the design process that is lacking when carried out on a computer screen.

    Johnson

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  7. Much agreed, Johnson. I saw your post this morning and it reminded me about very few people doing things on paper now-days.

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  8. LOL - So each season I sit at the computer with Excel and make all of these fancy garden plans. Everything typed in and color coordinated. Then you know what I do? I end up planting different stuff in the wrong squares and scribbling all over it. Plus writing in planting dates, notes, etc. I finally just decided to do it pen/pencil/paper - because then I can sit out in the garden and actually look at my boxes while I plan it.

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  9. I'm a pencil and graph paper girl myself. I love the computer for lots of things, but not garden planning. The online planners I've seen are a pain and Excel and I are not good friends.

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  10. Ahem....that would be Autocad. And as usual, my 2010 garden has been planned out using this program. Gosh, I think your garden is bigger than mine. How nmany square feet ya got there?

    EG

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  11. EG, I thought I had it spelled right. I'm now at 204sqft. Hopefully when I see how much sun one more space gets when the leaves fill in, I can add one more 8x4 bed! Yet, I have more sqft, but you beat me pound for pound nothing flat.

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  12. The Mom, Excel and I have a hate/loath relationship. It drives me nuts. I'm glad I'm not alone in the paper world!

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  13. Crystabel, that's another reason I like it so much, but EG will tell you he just prints his out and takes it with him. I just suppose for me, old habits die hard.

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  14. I'm with you, girlfriend! I always use graph paper and I have a little zipper pouch with my tools and colored pencils that the kids aren't allowed to touch! I think I do it for my mind, kind of like knitting or pretending I'm a kid with an art project, it helps me relax. Although, maybe the fact that I do it after the kids go to bed with a glass of wine is what really helps me relax... either way I enjoy it.

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  15. You got it, Erin. You can't forget that glass of wine.

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  16. I made a copy of a sheet of graph paper, and I play with my plans in "Paint". I can do them over and over, as I must (I change my mind so often), and no trees are harmed when I throw my virtual graph paper into the trash. Last year I made myself the neatest three year journal, so I could write everything down and compare each year on one page, but I forgot to write in it :-( It was a really good idea, I'm just not that well organized.

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  17. Granny, as with all things, I may just one day turn to the computer. Possibly when things get quieter in 20 years and I can sit down at one for more than 38 seconds at a time. ;)

    Shoot. I was one of the last people I know to retire my film camera and all my cell phone does is dial - no camera, no text, no nothin'.

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  18. I don't even know what 5:30am looks like! Your plans look like they are coming along nicely. Planting must be coming up pretty soon in your next of the woods.

    I have done some generic plans on paint so far to map were thing will grow. Once planting time comes I will decide how much space to allot to each variety. Probably will all change by spring...

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  19. Clearly, my next post has to be my state of the art sketch + tracing paper layout kit. I like it because I can flip back and forth to see what was there when -- and I can change it easily. Of course, it's going to take years to get the most out of it.

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  20. Dan, I shouldn't have opened my mouth. We certainly saw 5:30. We actuallt saw 4:00 this morning. He did go back to bed for about 30 minutes.

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  21. I had to laugh when I read this as we have a grandson that has the same issues with the early morning law.:)

    I'm a pencil and paper person as well but always struggle to put my plans in writing. So I usually end up just picturing how I want everything to be in my mind and go for it from there. Anyway, I am very much looking forward to watching your garden grow

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  22. Thanks, Mr. H. As I, yours as well. I love your blog.

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  23. It's up. Go look and let me know what you think.

    And you know, I'd get up early with the boy. That's how my clock has apparently gotten set - 6:00 and I'm done for the night. I hit the sack as early as possible though.

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  24. You have lots of non-techie friends here! I posted my garden plans as a photo of graph paper earlier this month.

    I haven't worked out how to do it on the computer, either. My beds are all curved, so my lines run across the squares of the graph paper, but I've never been good about staying inside the lines!

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  25. I'll tell ya. I no longer feel in the minority. Woohoo!

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