# record keeping



## ohio-guy (Jan 18, 2007)

I have been acquiring new plants and have decided to try to find a way to catalogue my collection. I thought I would ask here first and see if there is a tool in existance that might allow me to list the plants I have on a computer (spread sheet?) with a thumbnail picture maybe. Is there already a tool out there? Also I read a thread somewhere about record keeping that assigned numbers for the pot lables of the various plants, related to purchace year and type of plant ....does that sound familiar to anyone? 
Thanks,
Eric


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## terrestrial_man (Jan 19, 2007)

Hello Eric,
There are all kinds of ways of keeping info on your plants in your computer. I believe that there is even a software package. 
I currently use NotePad and have set up two files: one is calendar related to note activity per day of use and the other is genera related (could be species related) that gives general info with reference to the calendar file.
Another way I use Photo Impression and create a journal by creating a blank page and then adding an image or several images of the plant to it and making whatever comments I wish to make. Since the computer will sort in an alphabetic sequence of sorts simply naming the file will set up its position in your file system.


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## ohio-guy (Jan 19, 2007)

I have an I-mac, and am not sure I have 'notepad' on here...I only recently got this computer and don't know the ins and outs of it yet. I know I will probably need to get a program for it, but was wondering if any one else has a Mac and knows a program they are happy with to suggest. 
I guess I should have said as much in my 1st post<G>. Thanks for the info so far. I will have to get to an apple store and see if they have any suggestions, unless someone here knows of a program by name.


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## Heather (Jan 19, 2007)

Eric, 

Hi, 
I'm a mac user. Do you have (or have access to) filemaker pro? It's a database program and that's what I use to set up my collection database. 
If you have it, I can send you a copy of what I came up with. It has space for wildcatt data and a photos and even quicktime animated movies.


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## NYEric (Jan 19, 2007)

Again w/ the hamburger! I use an excel spread sheet. No photos. Just make sure you dont lose the tags.


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## Heather (Jan 19, 2007)

Excel is a pain in the ass, and you can insert photos, but it is terrifically slow if you have a large collection.


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## NYEric (Jan 19, 2007)

I'm not really worried about photo's my problem is that I have too many plants w/ lost or totally faded out ID's!!!


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## TADD (Jan 19, 2007)

Use pencil.....


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## Ernie (Jan 19, 2007)

I use MS Works for my day to day stuff. No pix though. It's more trivial than Excel, but has some nice features that are better for databasing. If you want something pre-made, I highly recommend Cattleya Log by Ed Weber. I made several suggestions for improvements which he incorporated (like the ability to generate labels for plant stakes). It will elt you have pix of each plant/flower. Got away from using it when my old PC I was using became dated though. Regret it and intend on updating that database. Info is on the OrchidMall at the software & services page. 

-Ernie


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## Marco (Jan 20, 2007)

i used to use excel and have a workbook with a page for each plant where i put the history of the plant size where when how much etc..etc.. and traced their progression....but then something happened and I lost it...now im too lazy and have no time to get back around to it.


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## likespaphs (Jan 20, 2007)

TADD said:


> Use pencil.....



i second that
crazy how it lasts so long...


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## Ron-NY (Jan 20, 2007)

I am terrible at record keeping. Here are some premade programs you can look at. I know a few people that really love Cattleya-log
http://www.bellaonline.com/subjects/2698.asp


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## Heather (Jan 20, 2007)

Eric - 
How new is your iBook? Is it one of the new mac books? 
If you have a new one with the intel processor, you should be able to run windows based programs such as Cattleya-Log. I really liked that program but it doesn't run on the older generation of macs with the Power PC processeors.


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## Grandma M (Jan 20, 2007)

Does anyone have, or know about, MY ORCHIDS.2 ?

It looks interesting but a lot of work to record everything. I downloaded the trial version and found it has a lot of the features I would like. 

I now have my records in Excel and also have a page of each orchid in WordPerfect with most of the info and a photo of each plant. The 'My Orchids' program looks to me like I could record the info from both pages, into one program. I could also sort the plants by a lot of different categories. I also wonder it I can import my records from Excel into this program. 

It is expensive but may be worth it in the long run.

PLEASE. Let me know what you thing about it.

Marilyn


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## ohio-guy (Jan 23, 2007)

Heather....I dont think I have filemaker pro, but will look into getting it. My computer is a desk top mac, not a note book. it had some windows software including excell I think when i got it 3 months ago, but that was for a 30 day trial. I think I would be interested in your program, unless some of the others mentioned here (myorchids, or cat-log) run on macs. Thanks for your help!
Eric


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## NYEric (Jan 24, 2007)

TADD said:


> Use pencil.....


too late.


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## Heather (Jan 24, 2007)

ohio-guy said:


> Heather....I dont think I have filemaker pro, but will look into getting it. My computer is a desk top mac, not a note book. it had some windows software including excell I think when i got it 3 months ago, but that was for a 30 day trial. I think I would be interested in your program, unless some of the others mentioned here (myorchids, or cat-log) run on macs. Thanks for your help!
> Eric



You're welcome. I don't think the other programs will run on your mac, unless it is one of the ones with the intel processor. 
I'm not sure how pricey filemaker is, it's a good database program though, if you find yourself needing one for more than this. If you end up wanting a copy of my d-base template, let me know.


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## NYEric (Jan 24, 2007)

I have a number of plants w/ faded and lost tags. I also have a number of lplants where the vendor just stuck a tag w/ only the number on it so I don't know what it is or where I got it from!


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## Damas (Aug 7, 2008)

Heather said:


> Eric,
> 
> Hi,
> I'm a mac user. Do you have (or have access to) filemaker pro? It's a database program and that's what I use to set up my collection database.
> If you have it, I can send you a copy of what I came up with. It has space for wildcatt data and a photos and even quicktime animated movies.



Hello Heather, I am a mac user too and have access to a not too old version of FileMaker Pro. I'll be very interested in your orchids manager template if your are still ready to share it ! :drool:


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## Candace (Aug 7, 2008)

I'm also a mac user and created an orchid database with Filemaker Pro eons ago. I used it when I had only a few plants. I kept photos, when it bloomed, where I bought it and for how much. For that it's great. But once your collection gets over, say 50 plants...it's not easy to keep up with the record keeping. For me, it's simpler to take photos and put them on my website and write any notes on the label and stick it in the pot. 

I use Filemaker all the time. I manage my society newsletter database with it and I used to keep all the membership info. and roster template when I was in charge of that. I agree, it's a great piece of database software.


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## Heather (Aug 7, 2008)

Damas said:


> Hello Heather, I am a mac user too and have access to a not too old version of FileMaker Pro. I'll be very interested in your orchids manager template if your are still ready to share it ! :drool:



You bet. I sent one to Blake a while ago and I have a blank template. I will look at it tonight and I can just burn you a CD, so PM me your address and I'll try to get it off to you next week.


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## Heather (Aug 7, 2008)

Just FYI, it's pretty much set up only for slipper orchids but you could always add more genera and species in easily.


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## eOrchids (Aug 8, 2008)

Excel and my website


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