I write a little about the weather; what is blooming; what looks pretty or smells good. I also write about problems with bugs or disease and what didn't work out. I write suggestions to myself such as to fertilize the brugmansia so maybe they will bloom earlier. I write about plants I bought on sale. Lately I have been writing about ideas I pick up on the gardening shows. Example: one show said that hardy geranium likes clay soil. I think you should write what is important to you.

Good ideas.....thanks for the input.
I also thought about keeping track of dates of seed starting, weather patterns in the spring, etc.

I write what I plant(should put when and where)what works and what doesn't,what dies,Keep my receipts and records of what I mail order,unusual birds and weather.If I was better organized,I would keep temperature and rainfall but am not that organized.Hope to do better.Read an island Garden.She kept meticulous notes.Should put what and when you spray(IF you do,I don't)Purchase of fertilizer,garden tools.I did a chart of when flowers bloom which has been extremely useful but I do flowers for church.Posy Pet

I started a garden journal in 1999. I just used a spiral notebook and marked a section for each month leaving room for about three days on each page. I have a place to record the monthly totals for rain and a total for year at the end. I too make note of temps (especially extreme), what was planted on that day and anything else meaningful to gardening. It's neat to be able to compare from year to year. Notations on bloom and ripening time for fruit, spraying and insect problems are helpful. My journal will work for 2 or 3 more years and then I'll have to plan a new one. Also if trying a new plant, what we thought about it. You'll have fun and be rewarded with the info you come up with.

Thanks for giving me so much useful information and your experiences to begin my journal. I also plan to take before and after pictures of my yard and planting areas to compare.

That is a good idea. I've got some areas where I have before and after pictures and they help a lot.

I'm not really a journal person, but have kept a separate calendar to note what date things bloom, etc. When to plant which seeds in greenhouse. If I am doing cold stratifying, I need to keep notes so I will know when to move seed from cold to warm or vice versa. It is easy to turn to the right month and see what was happening the year before. I always forget exactly when to plant this or that garden seed so that it will be ready to plant out at the optimum time. Kind of a journal in shorthand. ;)