Gardening is incredibly rewarding but it can be tricky to keep on top of seasonal jobs such as sowing and harvesting, not to mention new planting plans, redesigns and wish lists from one year to the next.

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A journal or planner makes all this easier. A useful tool where you can organise ideas and garden plans they can also help you be as efficient as possible in the garden.

Garden journals suit a range of different note taking styles. Whether you like to write out your plans in meticulous detail or make more free-flowing sketches and notes, there's a journal here for you.

Some of the best also have helpful gardening tips and tricks. They include planting calendars, advice on each month’s jobs and pests and diseases to look out for, or habit-making to-do lists.

Journals needn’t be just for planning, either. They can be a place to hold thoughts that strike you while you’re gardening, or simply to sketch or paint your take of your surroundings.

Below is a curated list of journals and planners to help you keep everything sorted and in one place.

Getting organised? Have a look at our guides to some of the best seed boxes or storage ideas.


11 of the best gardening journals

Wrendale Gardening Journal

Wrendale Gardening Journal - BBC Gardeners' World Magazine
Wrendale Gardening Journal

This indexed journal is great for any gardener, beginner or expert. It has pages for sketching plans, a monthly plant profile as well as jobs for each month and the pests and diseases you may encounter.

Price: £14.13

Buy Wrendale Gardening Journal on Amazon


RHS A Gardener's Five Year Record Book

RHS A Gardener's Five Year Record Book - BBC Gardeners' World Magazine
RHS A Gardener's Five Year Record Book

This useful record book is ideal for gardeners taking the long view. The generous journal lets you plot and track your garden’s development over half a decade. It gives a week-by-week timetable of germination and flowering for a variety of different plants, all illustrated with archive images from the RHS Lindley Library.

Price: £15

Buy RHS Five Year Record Book on RHS.org


Hafren Thomas Edible Gardening Journal & Planner

Hafren Thomas Edible Gardening Journal & Planner - BBC Gardeners' World
Hafren Thomas Edible Gardening Journal & Planner

This beautiful, independently-made planner is great for anyone who grows their own. It comes with calendars and notes on cultivating fruit, herbs and vegetables to help you plan an entire year of growing and harvesting healthy, home-grown food.

Price: £10.75

Buy Hafren Thomas Edible Gardening Journal & Planner on Etsy


The Green Conspiracy Garden Journal

The Green Conspiracy Garden Journal - BBC Gardeners' World Magazine
The Green Conspiracy Garden Journal

Keen gardeners should check out this chic journal. Its annual calendar is coupled with a monthly breakdown for more detailed notes and with space for 40 plant profiles, you can make observations about each of the plants in your garden and their specific needs. It’s even adaptable between north and south hemispheres. We like the sleek, modern typeface and design, which makes a welcome break from more obvious floral designs and it’s completely biodegradable too.

Price: £32.20

Buy TheGreenConspiracy Garden Journal on Etsy


Matt Elledge Garden Planner and Journal

Matt Elledge Garden Planner and Journal - BBC Gardeners' World Magazine
Matt Elledge Garden Planner and Journal

This simple journal is packed with helpful pages. There are sections for working out your budget, taking inventory of seeds, and planning the layout of your garden. At just £4.99, this is a steal.

Price: £6.49

Buy Matt Elledge Garden Planner and Journal on Amazon


Personalised Gardening A5 Cloth Bound Notebook

Personalised Gardening A5 Cloth Bound Notebook - BBC Gardeners' World Magazine
Personalised Gardening A5 Cloth Bound Notebook

Personalise your planning with this good-looking garden journal. With two different designs and five colours to choose from, you can make a journal that suits you or a gardening friend. A thoughtful gift for gardeners.

Price: £17.95

Buy Personalised Gardening A5 Cloth Bound Notebook at notonthehighstreet.com


My Gardening Handbook

My Gardening Handbook - BBC Gardeners' World Magazine
My Gardening Handbook

Great for beginners, this journal has a glossary of gardening terms and tools, so you can learn on the go. With lots of wildlife advice and eco-friendly homegrown remedies for pests, it also has space for any recipes you might dream up with your home grown ingredients. Budding horticulturalists can record their plants, their needs, and their growth, and there’s even space to note ideas and inspiration you might take from parks, gardens, or stately homes you visit.

Price: £20

Buy My Gardening Handbook on Amazon


Rite in the Rain Waterproof Notepad

Rite in the Rain Waterproof Notepad - BBC Gardeners' World
Rite in the Rain Waterproof Notepad

This journal isn’t intended specifically for gardeners, but would work a treat, because it's completely weatherproof so you can have it with you every day in the garden, whatever the weather. It even comes with imperial and metric rulers and a unit conversion table. A rugged companion for wet and muddy days.

£6.89

Buy Rite in the Rain Waterproof Notepad on Amazon


The Gardener Journal

Papier The Gardener Journal - BBC Gardeners' World Magazine
Papier The Gardener Journal

This beautiful gardening journal is great to help you keep on track. Its pages help you keep tabs on your ideas and priorities and the to-do list style is designed to let you develop and track good habits like regular watering and pruning.

Price: £21.99

Buy The Gardener Journal from Papier


My Gardening Year Folder

Undercover My Gardening Year Journal - BBC Gardeners' World Magazine
Undercover My Gardening Year Journal

An A4 folder for meticulous gardeners. If you take a lot of notes, or are working on big projects, this handsome leather folder is excellent for organising and planning a year’s worth of gardening. Available in a choice of colours from fluoro green and poppy red to the taupe and slate grey seen here.

Price: £25

Buy My Gardening Year Folder from Undercover.co.uk


Crocus Gardener's Leather Journal/Sketchbook

Crocus Gardener's Leather Journal/Sketchbook - BBC Gardeners' World Magazine
Crocus Gardener's Leather Journal/Sketchbook

This beautiful journal is built to last. It has a silk bookmark and its leather wraparound cover is great for keeping flower pressings safe. Ideal for quick plans and notes, there's also a bigger sketchbook for designs and larger scale workings-out.

£19.99

Buy Crocus Gardener's Leather Journal/Sketchbook at Crocus


Planning your gardening year? Get a helping hand from our guides on what to do now.

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