I make beautiful scrapbooks of each year's iris bloom season, a pictorial recording of what bloomed that year. I also have some maps and keep a journal by date of what blooms each day throughout the season.
I had an Excel spreadsheet for the info and what bloomed and how many of each bloomed but inserting newly acquired irises in, somehow it did not insert across the whole line so everything got messed up and I gave up! Someday I will straighten it out, hopefully.

I've made a map of my rows/beds in Excel. Works well for me.

Scott, That is a really nice looking map. I'm going to make me one like that!

I wish I knew how to…. I don't know the computer well enough to do this, but it does look awesome Scott.

Does anyone besides Ed have the PlantStep software?

redhead said:I used to use spreadsheets. A few years ago I found Plantstep software and spent the $30 for it. One of the best I have used. There are annual updates that also include the AIS info that prefills on 30,000+ named iris as you add them. Also has section for daylilies perennials, roses, etc. You can add pics of blooms, garden location, purchased from info. You can also track and show parentage. More info than I will ever use. There is a demo available for download if you want to play around with it. And you can upload a lot of the data from existing spreadsheets you might be using.

Ed ~ Do you still use the PlantStep software? (It's $50.00 now! )

don't know how to do spreadsheets etc Have lost a lot of labels so have mysteries.

Wow, thank you all for sharing your tips and secrets to doing record keeping.
There is so much here to absorb and make me wish to have started many
years ago. I thought being a hoarder all my life that I would have had everything
but I don't have this important information. I don't have a PC nor tech knowledge
on my old MAC, but I will try. Too bad with COVID we don't have the in-person
training at Apple anymore.

Glendolyn, the Plants List here has quite a few useful features if you want to explore that option.

I keep a sortable spreadsheet with picture thumbnails and relevant information. It does not help much with my haphazard method of putting them in. Clearly I was not meant to be a bookkeeper and also did not get enough sleep in middle age.

🙂 Mary 🌻