A garden notebook gives familiar surroundings a fresh point of interest. Begin with the space you already know: the view from a window, a small border or a few containers near the door. The purpose is to notice patterns rather than to create a perfect record.
Add a date, a quick sketch and a few observations each time you return. Record where light falls, what is changing and which parts of the garden invite you to pause. Keep observations separate from plans, so a possibility does not gradually become a remembered fact.
Photographs taken from the same position can make slow changes easier to see. A single page for questions also helps: which corner needs closer attention, which arrangement felt crowded and which view would you like to revisit? Leave room for uncertainty.
At the end of a season, choose a handful of entries that explain its character. They may concern colour, weather or the way you used the space. A useful notebook grows from ordinary attention. It becomes a personal reference for future decisions without turning a quiet garden into another demanding project.