A Romantic Seasonal Garden Journal for Notes Sketches and Inspiration
Gardens rarely begin on the first day of a season. They begin when the rain softens the soil, when a packet of seeds catches your eye, when a rose opens, or when you finally sit down with a cup of tea and notice what has changed.
That is exactly why I created this seasonal garden journal.
Instead of beginning with winter, spring, summer, or autumn, it starts with “The Coming Season”. You can pick it up at any point in the year and begin where you are. No catching up. No blank months making you feel behind. Just a gentle place to notice, plan, dream, sketch, and remember.
I have just received 200 journals, and I am very excited to share them. The book itself is NZ$22, with postage calculated per order depending on where it is going.
A journal that begins where you are
Most garden planners assume the year has a neat beginning. They ask you to start in January, or at the first page marked winter or spring. Real gardens are not so tidy.
Sometimes the beginning is a warm day after weeks of rain. Sometimes it is the first sweet pea shoot. Sometimes it is the moment you decide this year you will pay closer attention.
This journal starts with The Coming Season so it can meet you there.
You might open it in late winter and write about pruning, bare branches, and bulbs pushing through. You might begin in midsummer with tomatoes, roses, weeds, and watering notes. You might start in autumn with cuttings, seed saving, compost, and plans for next year.
There is no wrong place to begin. The journal keeps the rhythm of the seasons, but it does not demand that you follow a strict calendar.
Unlined pages with prompts and unique line drawings make room for more than words
The pages are unlined because garden notes are not always tidy sentences.
Some days you may want to write a few lines about what is flowering. Other days you may want to sketch the shape of a new bed, map where the garlic went in, or draw the outline of a leaf you do not want to forget.
Unlined pages give you space for all of that.
They are especially useful for:
Planting notes Record what you planted, where it went, and what you want to try again.
Sketches and garden maps Draw a border, a pathway, a pot arrangement, or a rough plan for next season.
Weather observations Note late frosts, dry spells, heavy rain, windy days, or the first properly warm morning.
Flowering and harvest records Keep track of when favourite plants bloom, fruit, seed, or fade.
Little moments A bird in the berries, the scent of wet soil, a vase picked for the kitchen table, a colour combination that stopped you in your tracks.
A garden journal becomes more lovely with use. Soil smudges, pressed petals, quick sketches, and crossed-out plans all become part of the story.
Romantic details on every page
I wanted this journal to feel special without being too precious. It is designed in a romantic way, with unique line drawings on each page. The drawings are there to bring beauty and inspiration, while still leaving room for your own notes and sketches.
The pages are not heavily scripted. There are prompts and inspiration, but they are gentle. They do not make the journal feel like homework.
That balance matters. A garden journal should invite you in. It should make you want to sit down for five minutes after watering, or take it outside on a still afternoon, or tuck it beside your seed tins and secateurs.
The best garden notes are often the small ones, the things you would forget if you did not catch them while they were fresh.
A sentence can be enough. So can a drawing. So can a list of plants you loved this season and want more of next time.
Sections for the turning year
The journal is arranged in seasonal sections, so you can move with the natural rhythm of the garden. Each season has its own feeling.
There is the season of planning and waiting. The season of growth. The season of abundance. The season of gathering, cutting back, and dreaming again.
Because it begins with The Coming Season, the structure feels flexible. You can start at the beginning of your own gardening moment, then continue through the year in a way that feels natural.
It can hold practical details, but it can also hold the softer side of gardening. The hopes. The lessons. The surprises. The “try again next year” notes. The plants that thrived despite everything. The ones that did not, but still taught you something.
A thoughtful gift for a garden lover
This journal would make a beautiful gift for someone who loves gardens, flowers, drawing, slow living, or seasonal rituals.
It is also a lovely gift for yourself.
Not every gift needs to be grand. Sometimes the best ones are quiet and personal, something that says, “I know what you love. I know you notice these things.”
It could suit:
A gardener who likes to keep notes
Someone starting a new garden
A flower lover who enjoys sketching
A friend who saves seeds and cuttings
A person who appreciates paper, beauty, and seasonal living
Anyone who wants a gentle creative practice through the year
The journal is NZ$22, and postage will be calculated for each order depending on where it is being sent. If you would like one, please email me to order. I have 200 here now, ready to go to new homes.
Who do you know who would love this? Perhaps it is a friend. Perhaps it is someone in your family. Perhaps it is you, beginning with the coming season, exactly where you are.
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