posted 1 hour ago
I want to make my own notebook/binder of plants I find on my new land so that I can look at it offline to track and remember what I find & where, and so maybe guests can browse it if they want to go exploring when they visit.
I imagine it being a 3 ring binder. I imagine sections for seasons ("It's October, what might I find in fall?").
So, I want a resource online so that I could print out 2-3 pages on each plant: description, look-alikes to avoid, culinary uses, medicinal uses, and drawings. I'd prefer black & white drawings because I'm stingy about using full pages of printer ink. Unless you can suggest another way to add good pictures? Like cut them out of a book...? Maybe I will just have to draw them myself! That's an idea, too. I guess I could take photos and get them printed somewhere... ideas welcome!
If you're thinking, "Just buy a foraging book for your area", I have a couple books on foraging, and I'm happy to have them, but they show many plants I have not found on my land. Sure, I still might find them, but I want to keep record of the ones I *definitely* know I have, and even include where I can find them on my land. I am also working on making some maps, which I would include in the binder (or a separate one) showing things I've planted & where. I've done some pseudo-gorilla gardening ("pseudo" because it's on our own land, but it's just some random lighthearted attempts; hence the rough maps so far, so I can go look for it later). I could even record other things I find myself looking up and then forgetting about, like the occasional insect. I see it again the next year and can't remember if it was a beneficial insect or a pest.
Whether plants or bugs or poops, I simply cannot remember everything about them all!
Does something like this exist? People must do this, right? Like, maybe there are templates or worksheets? I like creating this kind of thing, but it'd be handy to copy & paste from a reliable source.
My current interest is to observe & get to know my new land, and plan on how it can support me for the rest of my life!