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.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmv9CB5amsA5yeOACQGQ3cz7oE-lp75_14V722Raz-unXywuu8jaxJB08x-FMz84ZY39wCIwoPf_gdluUBAgUrGWjLNdako0d-NijWiVQTkZscfTNZndO4gjQJYuYJ7hMTAbu47bNYxxE/s320/Garden+Graph+Fall.jpg)
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaM57qBDly-LPLWVyGRlwNIC016aDQcqAf6KoY2O3Ph-rghjG2r_PhPZl5LyTO4uxf-L__7XwzdoD1MSLXMKJMtGwvPBn8H66Tbq51EfTqiH2SpzzxGP-G2AEp9sG4Ilt9R6e3X12Bbvg/s320/Garden+Graph+Spring.jpg)
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjaOd87LkGiH8Mo45q59ef77Zxz0xNXqgzLWxkGC8W_1tN4Q8mNY6d4D97IwzVEo81R693fB46oT7FgSlv94NPl5ObyOeDtgUZBAdIhIuP8DqMohQi2fXq2RW1xDaqFDfD1sJahER04RQ/s320/Garden+Graph+Summer.jpg)