There is nothing more annoying, in the depths of winter, while planning the next season's garden, to realize that once again, you forgot to write down when various plants bloomed.

Did that favorite lily bloom in the beginning of July? The middle?
How about that fabulous new echinecea variety? Did it bloom at all? Was the colour all you had hoped it would be?

What about bloom times? Was there a period of time where blooms were scarce? What could you plant that would bloom during that time?

How about your overall colour scheme? Did it hold together? Or perhaps something unexpected popped up.

That happens to me every year.
 I am not so fond of orange except in certain situations during the fall.
Some how. . . although I have never in my life planted an orange lily, one has bloomed in early July for the past few years. I don't like it, it bugs me, but, somehow it manages to to hold on to it's small corner of the garden from year to year dropping it's last few petals just as I decide to get ruthless and yank it out.

Who said plants weren't smart??

But after all. . . It's just one plant right? Not such a big deal. Only. . . another one popped up in an entirely new spot in the garden.

Different shade of orange, but, orange none the less. . .

It's starting to spread. . .

 So here's how I keep track of what's going on through the gardening season. I take pictures every week or so and label them with the date. That way, come winter I'll know where my bare spots are, as well as all the other things no one remembers once the snow flies.