Review: P. Allen Smith’s Garden Home Journal

I bought this gardening journal a few years ago. At that point I knew next to nothing about gardening and brought the book home enchanted and motivated by the creativity it was sure to cause. However, what I really needed was a how-to-garden book. Several how-to books later, I have rediscovered this journal on a shelf and realized it is just what I need.

Book anatomy: Wire bound so it stays flat, with hard durable cover - very pretty outside jacket.

What’s inside: Table of contents, intro, the author’s garden, and an addresses section. Then the book is divided into tabbed sections: Spring, Summer, Fall and Winter. Each section has a pocket for seed packets and other paraphernalia, an introduction, several lined journal pages, some graph pages and a few spots for doodling. Little garden quotes are scattered throughout. After the seasonal sections are plant record pages, design tips, ideas, and material/plant recommendations, followed by a listing of gardens to visit.

Overall: It’s a very pretty book/journal, a bit more suited to landscaping and floral designs than vegetable/square foot gardens, but is useful for both. Although some may see it as a glorified notebook, it is very pretty and sturdy (although laminated pages would be a plus). More of a gift type book than entirely practical, but inspiring and beautiful nonetheless.