Going crazy trying to start my Garden Journal

Whoa! I have been messing around with my Garden Journal and I have to say it's not very user friendly.
Has anyone else had a similar experience? Hey, Dave! Gotta add some new database software. Please.

It is kind of tricky - a lot of it is explained pretty well in the Journals and Diaries discussion forum. One thing that is really easy is adding plants from plantfiles, there's a button all the way at the bottom that let's you add a plant to your journal. Then you have to pick a category, etc.

Thanks, Claypa, for pointing me in the right direction. The Journals and Diaries discussion forum will be most helpful.

I had the same reaction, kat, so I haven't put too much in there.

I had refused to use it until someone pointed out that you can add plants to your journal via plant files, but you're right, it is not user-friendly. The tools are very cumbersome, but I'm hoping that the new re-org will bring better software.

Note, even if you add plants to your journal via Plant Files does not mean that you will necessarily be able to link back to the Plant Files entry from your journal - I nearly threw my laptop across the room when I discovered that after having spent the better part of the day adding 150 plants to my journal. :>)

When you're in your journal and you see the choices on the right: add, view, edit, delete etc,: click on view, and the plantfiles link is all the way at the bottom. Almost always....I agree, it can be frustrating, though.

Greenkat, I took a peek at your Journal, Hope you don't mind. For your Calendula>>> I went into plant files and Typed in Flashback in the Cultivar space, (leave all the other spaces blank) I came up with 3 entries for Calendula. If any of these match, you and add to your journal.

For your Columbine>>>> I found that there is an entry for William Guiness Doubles (spelled with one N)

Sometimes it takes a bit of searching in the plant files to find what you need. Hope this helps!

Chris

Wrightie, another thing is I guess you can't link to plant files from someone else's journal, just your own. . ..

greenkat, I peeked too, that's a nice set of native plants you're starting, that's great! I love that Dicentra / Fringed Bleeding Heart.

Having just found my receipt for my 12 yr old blueberry bush, to get it in my journal, I did this:
put the cultivar in PF search, got the plant, scrolled down to add to your journal, clicked, then chose a category for it, and voila. that was easy.
Thanks to the ohters suggestions above, that was an easy way to get all the blanks filled in, in my journal. I point and click better than I type, sadly.

At least, this is working well, for me to get a record of varieties and toss all these old slips of paper. Then wll maybe click prepare this page for printing, that shows me all the info more reader friendly, and I can make just one hard copy, or put it in my own documents.

I just added a bunch of things to my journal. practice and trial and error, and finding a chunk of time to spend on it.

This message was edited Feb 3, 2007 10:46 AM

This message was edited Feb 3, 2007 11:35 AM

Claypa and Chris, thank you sooooooo much! adding a Garden Journal entry from the Plant Files is sooooooo much easier! Thanks everyone one for suggestions, hints and just being able to yak!