Re: record keeping

> Anyone find any software for this?
> How detailed do you get.
> How do you keep maps straight?
> Journal or note paper??
--
    Like Larry I also use a spreadsheet.  First Lotus 123 and now Excel.  It lists the 
following information.  Name, when I purchased it, the basic color, whether it is an 
amoena, plicata, neglecta, etc. (I use these last 2 columns so that I can sort by 
color or type), the map number (each bed is named, A, B, C, Fantasy, Pecan, etc. 
and each iris is numbered in that bed), who I got the iris from, who I bought the iris 
for (my husband or myself, this is just for fun so I can give Vernon a hard time 
about all the iris HE buys), the breeder/hybridizer, the year of introduction, when it 
blooms, the height, whether or not it is a rebloomer, what class (TB, SDB, etc.), 
the description from the R & I book (very abbreviated in my own shorthand), and a 
bloom history for spring and rebloom for each year.  I print this up and keep it in 
sheet protectors in a notebook so that it can go to the garden at any time.  Using 
china markers I can make notes on the sheet protectors and then transfer that info 
into my computer at my leisure.  
    I also do my maps in Excel.  Since most of my beds are 5' wide and 138' long 
with two rows of iris planted in each the spreadsheet works very well.  I number 
the iris and then at the side of this I list the matching iris (name only).
    At the end of each year a copy of this goes into my permanent hard copy file.  I 
also keep the computer records labeled by year.  
    What I don't have is any comments.  As I tour my gardens each day in spring I 
take a small tape recorder and make my bloom comments here and then transfer 
them over.  Maybe that is where I should also keep my other comments and add 
them as well.  This list is already a full sheet wide in the landscape mode but I 
guess I wouldn't have to print the varietal comments.  Just keep them in the 
computer?
    Did I mention that I am slightly obsessive compulsive?(-:


Dana Brown  Lubbock, Texas  Zone 7
Where the coldest it's ever been is -17 on 2/8/33 and the warmest it's 
ever been is 114 on 6/27/94.  Our average first freeze is November 3rd
and our average last freeze is April 9th.  Our growing season is @ 208 
days long with 164 of them clear.
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