The Canadian Gardener's Journal

Janet Arnett is the former campus manager of adult education at Ontario’s Georgian College. She is the author of Antiques and Collectibles: Starting Small, The Grange at Knock, and 673 Ways to Save Money.

This is a combination perpetual diary and gardening tips collection. The
diary section allows a generous space for each day of the year in which
to record personal observations, accomplishments, and chores relevant to
the book owner’s garden. If entries are made faithfully for a few
years, the journal will become the most valuable garden reference
available—one specific to the diarist’s own garden.

Tucked in around the journal spaces is a surprisingly substantial
amount of gardening lore, advice, helpful tips, little-known facts, and
practical how-to directions. This eclectic assortment of bits and pieces
includes everything from data on soil types and a map of hardiness zones
to seed sources, poetry, and recipes. Flowers, vegetables, shrubs,
trees, vines, butterflies, and just about anything else found in a
garden are mentioned.

This text and the many full-color photos and drawings that enliven the
journal will encourage and inspire the journal writer. Any gardener at a
loss as to what to record in the logbook has only to browse through the
colorful pages and the ideas will start flowing.

Anyone who tends a garden—whether a small flower plot or a
substantial vegetable patch—will enjoy this book, as it provides both
information and an invitation to participate in the creation of the
book. It’s a tool for sharpening the user’s observation skills and
for building a sense of accomplishment and satisfaction.