Fun problem to have ....

You might consider your own herbarium ... a collection of all the plants from your garden dried and mounted on a white herbarium sheet along with a data label that includes the plant ID .. time collected and anthing else you want to add .... I would collect the materials when in flower and try to get some fruits and seeds all needed for a good ID .........

With that in mind I would collect things all throughout the seaon to record changes ect... by the way you might even collect weeds to keep a record of that as well...

By all means take photos ....

Your collections could easily be shown to knowledgable people in your area for a good ID ... also you may have duplicate collections that could be given away for scientific collections in your area ..... these types of collections are the evidence for all that we read in authoratative works of botany ... horticulture .....

Good Luck.......

Hi Chickadee. What's the objective of the inventory? If it's to know what you have so that you can offer seeds to friends, just record the plants as you collect seeds. It should be fun, not a burden.

I'm not sure whether your task is overwhelming to you because of the number of specimens or because you don't know what they all are. Maybe a bit of both? So start with what you know, and what's comfortable for you. If you document 10 plants a day, or 10 plants a week using something as simple as index cards while you wander about your property, you can alphabetize the cards for now, and dump the info into a database next year. If there are plants you aren't sure of, post photos to "Name that Plant" and you'll get almost instant IDs.

I keep an inventory simply because it's interesting for me to do that and I have compulsive tendencies :) Excel is useful for keeping track of things, and you probably already have that on your PC, but a notebook or index cards will work just fine. This sounds like a fun project to me, and an excuse to be outside, enjoy it!

Chickadeedeedee-
How large is your property? Can you give a rough estimate of the number of varieties of trees, shrubs, vines, groundcovers, perennials, re-seeding annuals that you have? We might have different ideas for you based on the scope of the work to be done.
Ginger

What looks like an overwhelming problem to you probably isn't. Somewhere in your area there is a good nursery person, horticulturist, County Extension agent, garden club member or the like who could walk through your yard and quickly identify the plants and trees. (You would, of course, offer a gratuity.) That person might not be able to give you the exact Latin variety name for each plant, but at least you would know what type it is. For instance, there are many named Japanese maples but sometimes it is difficult to put an exact name to the one you are identifying at that moment. This is when you turn to reference books such as "A-Z Encylopedia of Garden Plants" or "Flora" trying to match your plant to their descriptions.

WOW.

Thank you!! Both posts have great ideas!

I know probably 95% of the common names and 15% scientific names. I have kept the plant labels from most of the more recent additions.

There are just sooooo many plants! It is a project mainly for fun but also I would like to be able to be more specific when asking questions about a certain plant in the yard, or when listing it in the exchanges.

Life also tends to get in the way of the more fun things I would like to do. Ten a day sounds very reasonable. I just know that once I start, I'll do more than ten. The laundry can wait. LOL.

Thanks again...I'll start by gathering up my plant labels and getting index cards, old plant catalogues, books to put my cutting into after they are pressed and dried.

I've wanted to start this for some time but couldn't think how to start. Thank you both so very much!!
{{gwi:2103264}}

Rudbeckia "Irish eyes"

Hi Ginger.

The property is about 3/4 of a acre. There's American Red Cedar, blue spruce, blue atlas cedars, crabapples, pear, Japanese maple, magnolia, willows, mahogany, Umbrella Pine, dragon's eye pine, dogwood, hinoki, bristlecone pine, sugar maple, sassafrass, redbud, giant sequoia, dawn redwood,Russian olive, mimosa, lilacs and at least 10 other trees, azaelia, rhodedendron (sp?), quince, bamboo (3 kinds), roses galore...mini, climbers, heirloom, and others, porcupine grass, dwarf mondo grass, dwarf palm grass, zebra grass, broom, coreopsis (at least 5 varieties), sage, honeysuckle, clemitis (3 variety), wisteria, senna, cardinal flowers, vibernum, mugo pine, datura, bleeding hearts, astilbe..more than I can count, lungwort, soapwort, bladderwort...lots of other worts (lol)
daylillies, crocosima (sp?), hardy hibiscus, Christmas rose, hardy orchids and hardy cyclamen, Star of Bethlahem and a bazillion buld flowers, peonies, rudbeckia, heuchera, grape vine, hosta..again more than I can count, violets , at least 6 varieties, chocolate vine, Maxamillion Sunflower.
Annuals galore and some ground covers too.

You get the idea. There's more but that's what I can think of just now.

LOL Nandina!!

I had a horticulturalist come to my yard last year to help me identify some plants. He asked ME what most of the plants were!! Guess I need to find someone more knowledgeable.

Hi Chickadeedeedee: (I hope I didn't DElete any "dee"s.)

Anyway, Nandina mentions Flora which is an awesome reference. The current edition has a CD-ROM of all the plants in the book where you can search by many criteria. This will make it a much easier task.

Cynthia is also on the mark that you can't look at the project as a whole or it will drive you crazy. I have used database software and Excel (like Cynthia) to keep track of my plants. The plant numbers, your software comfort level and attributes you'll want to document will determine which way to go.

spectre

Thank you. You all have such great ideas. I'll look for FLORA ASAP.

I do tend to look at a project as a whole, and yes, it does drive me crazy! LOL.

But, this is a fun thing to do and if it continues to snow, I'll get farther along than anticipated.

"bristlecone pine . . . giant sequoia . . . dawn redwood"
I am envious--would love to have these as specimen trees. Some of the world's oldest trees.

Sounds as if you have gotten the help you needed. I was wondering if we were missing the mark by not knowing the size of your task. Luck with the catalogueing.
G.

Somewhere I remeber reading about a kid who put off a project--on N American Birds--and was totally overwhelmed--until someone (grandparent? parent?) told him/her to do it "one bird at a time." SO Miss Chickadeedeedee--

One plant at a time. One plant at a time.

melanie
(and chickadees are among my favorite birds--along with ruby crowned kinglets...)

Sounds like your up to the task; if you can id that list you're better than some pros I know...

Please get rid of the Russia olive; bird-borne invasives are NOT Mother Nature's friends. The worst thing about Russian olive is in the 50's every DOT in the lower 48 was in love with it but now we know better...you have probably seen first hand in your yard already...

Tree hugging PITA

Ummm ... You have misidentified the Rudbeckia. It is not 'Irish Eyes'. That cultivar has green centers -- thus the reference to Irish.

IronBelly

Hi all.

The Irish eyes I showed was the original cultivar sold about 5 years ago. Now they have the green centers, unless they were misidentified back then. Who knows. Names change. Whatever the first plant pictured was, I really like it.

Thanks all for the encouragement. Makes me feel like I can do it. (Oh, Oh...laundry calls first. Need to feed the animals, need to go to the post office...oh yes...there is that "work" thing too. LOL.

You want me to get rid of this? The huge leaders are the 50+ year old Russian olive my Father planted. If you look at the TREES GALLERY, there are pictures of the support attempts we have made to stop it from falling over.
{{gwi:2103266}}

Here's my toad friendly pond underneath this massive tree.

Nice photos! I notice a lot of variation in Rudbeckias as they set seed and hybridize or revert among themselves. Rudbeckia Hirta is not long lived and it's possible that your original Rudbeckia 'Hirta' Irish Eyes died off and the seeds reverted to the species Rudbeckia Hirta. Pretty plant either way, and I wouldn't be without it either. So! You have at least 2 plants documented already, and Post Office is closed, so you can do more today :)

Hello again, Chickadeedeedee (or is it Mikeyismyfriend ?)

I thought you already seemed overwhelmed with your project and when I posted my original response, I didn't want to add to the list of things to think about. However, in another thread, Ginger thought bringing this to your attention might be useful. We were talking about tracking garden restorations and tools used to do it. I mentioned that I use a database software written specifically for horticulturalists or anyone involved with plants. I've attached a link to the company's website below.

It's called Compleat Botanica by Crescent Bloom. It's designed for anyone involved with plants from amateurs to collectors to growers and everyone in between. You can catalog images, track propagation, feeding and even research the plant on the web through the software. I got it last fall and it'd been invaluable...I even print my plant tags directly from it.

It is a database (based on a SQL server engine), so I have to warn you, there is a little bit of learning curve. However, if you've used MS Access, Filemaker Pro, or something similar, you'll have no trouble. The help is very detailed and if you're willing to spend some time playing with it to learn, the software will make your life a heck of a lot easier.

Good luck.

spectre

Here is a link that might be useful: Compleat Botanica Software

ChickaDDD is me. Mikeyismyfriend is my love. (My husband.)

My original Rudbeckia lived about 2 years and reseeded, true to the mother plant. Then they were gone. I searched for them at garden centers for a few years, finding only "Goldstrum" and others.

Last year I found "Irish eyes" and bought a plant and it was with the green center. :-( I do have the seeds from the original variety and will see what comes from them.

I like your idea for the database software, Spectre. I am not very computer savvy but I check out your link and figure things out.

So many possibilities!! So many ways to do things and they are all wonderful suggestions.

I forgot to mention the giant redwood, tri-coloured beech, red beech, white birch, dwarf white cedar, junipers, ferns galore, tall horsetail reeds, rose of sharon, varigated red twig dogwoods, silver maple, plus a banana and a tree fern too. :-)

thanks all......Later......

LOL......

I realised I am spending more time checking out the "Pruning Recommendations" posts than doing my inventory.

(seems like a valid excuse...need to make sure there are no triffids in the yard now...)

Recognizing avoidance behavior is the first step to--ENJOYING it. Where are you in OH? My natal land--and I have a kid in school at XU--I may be close enough to come help count plants! I'm (somewhat) serious--e-mail me if you like!

melanie

Hi Melanie.

I am trying to perfect the avoidance behavior, but I keep putting it off.

I live on the shores of beautiful Lake Erie, about 25 miles (as the gull flies) west of Cleveland.

My mom is in Hudson....but we lived in Lakewood for years. I think it was all those years in CLeveland in the 70's that gave me my true hatred of cold weather. I still miss hte sunsets...NOTHING is as lovely as watching the sun set over the lake....adn watching the lightning hit it during thunderstorms!

melanie

Hi.
I work from time to time at the animal emergency clinic in Mentor and we have had people from Hudson working there as well...when they're not snowed in. LOL

Here's a Lake Erie sunset for you.

Wow, Chickadeedeedee, you grow all that plant material and trees on 3/4 of an acre, must be one of those Texas acres, everything is big that comes from there.
I am in the process of starting my gardens, thank you for plant and trees that grow in our area. Have you thought of putting your plant inventory here so people may be able to access it.
Do you have a greenhouse as you list banana and tree fern, orchids and cyclamen or do grow them outdoors?

In the snow belt or snow machine
Hickory

Hi Hickory.

A greenhouse is on my wish list that likely will never come true. :-(

The orchids and cyclamen are hardy varieties and multiply worse than my mimosa tree!

The tree fern, Dicksonia antarctica, is enduring his first winter here. There is an area on the south side of the house that is a happy microclimate for over wintering things like dahlias, glads, and some volunteer petunias have been caught blooming in February here.

As an added bit of insurance, the tree fern is enclosed in a WALL-O-WATER and heavily mulched and insulated with maple and magnolia leaves. It acts as a wind break, warms the surrounding air plus is a nice way to stop my 110 pound German Shephard from "watering" it, if you know what I mean.

I use this technique for other wee trees in the yard until they are large enough to withstand extra waterings. It also protects the small trees from bunnies munching on them. I believe if you click on MY PAGE, there are some pictures to illustrate what I'm rambling on about.

The banana, Musa basjoo I think, is in his third year outside. Again, against the house in a warmer microclimate and heavily mulched. Since I do not have a greenhouse, I transplanted many geraniums, and other more tender things into that bed. The whole bunch is underneath a giant tarp supported from the overhang of the roof.

I did peek at my plants when it was in the double digits a few days ago and they are doing well. The banana is about 6 ft. tall and has the edges of the upper most leaves browned..that's it. The tree fern was as content as can be.
So far..said with fingers crossed.

I don't have a particular theme for my yard, as you may have guessed. I plant what I like and it seems the more unusual the better.

You want me to list my plants? I didn't think anyone would care about it. I will if you want. I'll put it on MY PAGE or something like that. Clever way to encourage me to do my list too! :-)

Will do.

I started the inventory. I haven't found all the scientific names and I don't know many of the varieties yet.
I'm not very good at proper notation of the scientific names, so please forgive me. As this is still a work in progress, I'll make corrections along the way.

This is just a start. I think this might be 1/4 of the plants that call this hunk o' land home.

The begining list is on MY PAGE. I'll be adding and correcting as time permits. I hope to make notations by the ones I'll have available for a plant and/or seed exchange as well.

ChickaDDD:

Looks like you've unfurled your wing and are ready to fly. Even this last post sounds like your nervous. Take a few DDDeep breaths and you'll get through it, and we're your nationwide team to help you!

Anyway, a quick lesson and a few names to help you out (if you were growing subtropicals, I'd be in a better position to help you). Botanical naming conventions are really easy. To start with the most basic rule, the binomial name is comprised of the genus and species. So if you're describing a plant, it's usually two words with the genus is always capitalized and the species is always in in full lowercase. Sometimes there will be a variety of cultivar listed as third name for further differentiation. The binomial name is usually italicized. That's lesson number one. Now you're a total expert.

To help you out with some of those names. The names in parenthesis are the families these plants belong to.

• Giant Redwood.......................Sequoia sempervirens (Taxodiaceae)

• Giant Sequoia.......................Sequoiadendron giganteum (Taxodiaceae)

• Eastern Redbud......................Cercis canadensis (Fabaceae)

• Sugar Maple.........................Acer saccharum (Aceraceae)

• Tri-Color Beech.....................Fagus sylvatica 'Tricolor' (Fagaceae)

• White Birch.........................Betula sp. (Betualaceae) Don't know if it's European or Japanese.

• Russian Olive.......................Elaeagnus angustifolia (Elaeagnaceae)

• Dawn Redwood........................Metasequoia glyptostroboides (Taxodiaceae)

• Dragon's Eye Pine...................Pinus densiflora 'Oculis-draconis' (Pinaceae) Other species w/ the same variety, P. thunbergii 'O-D'.

• Weeping Willow......................Salix babylonica (Salicaceae)

Hope that gets you started. I also hope my quick lesson was useful, as opposed to stating the obvious and insulting your inteligence. Apologies in advance if I did. Take care.

spectre

A inexpensive book but one you will use untill the covers fall off is, " Plant Identification Terminology" ..An illustrated Glossary .... by James Harris and Melinda Woolf Harris .... this book will give you the terms needed to describe plant materials in the language botanist use ... so instead of saying you have a big green thing in the yard .. you can speak the language ..... it will prove very helpful when using more authoratative publications.

Good Day ...

Thanks spectre for the quickie lesson. Please don't worry about insulting any intelligence on this side of the monitor. Still searching for signs of intelligent life forms here. :-)

Thanks for the names as well. I'm going through catalogues or looking through tags of plants to add them to the list, rather than just the common name.

Thank you, Mohave Kid. That sounds like a wonderful resource book. I'll be looking for it after our predicted ice storm passes.

Many plants, for example a honeysuckle vine, are from the next door neighbor. Their parents / grandparents built their home in 1917. The plant was one of the first that was planted near their side porch. They dug out a piece of the plant for me to have. Would that be considered an heirloom plant?

I don't know .... but there have been varieties of trees and plants found in lots and old properties that were thought not to exist anymore ... so keep your eyes open !!

Good Day ...