Who this is for
Gardeners who want to learn from each season instead of repeating the same plantings and the same failures.
The moment this saves you
Every spring I plant the same things, half of them fail like last year, and I have no record of what I did differently the year they actually thrived, so I never learn.
See it work
Messy spoken thought in. A clean, structured artifact out.
Garden log. Today I planted the tomato seedlings out, six of them, in the raised bed on the south side, that spot gets the most sun. I also sowed a row of basil between them, supposed to be good companions. I noticed the lettuce from a few weeks ago is bolting already because of the heat, lesson for next year, sow lettuce earlier or in the shade. The peppers I started indoors are leggy, I think they needed more light. Watered everything well. The roses have some black spot on the leaves, need to deal with that.
Garden log, June 5, 2026
Planted today
- 6 tomato seedlings, raised bed, south side (most sun)
- Row of basil between the tomatoes (companion planting)
Observations
- Lettuce bolting already from the heat. Lesson: next year sow earlier or in shade.
- Indoor-started peppers are leggy (likely needed more light)
- Black spot on the rose leaves, needs treating
Care: Watered everything well.
The workflow
Record a voice note
Hit the hotkey and talk, no formatting, no typing.
Tag it with this context
Contextli shapes your words into the structured output above.
Find it later
Everything's searchable and organised by context.
Pull it into Claude or ChatGPT
Bring your contexts straight into your AI tools with the Contextli MCP.
Your raw recording and transcription stay on your device, so you can always go back to the original.
The prompt behind this context
I'm going to talk through what I did and noticed in the garden. Turn it into a dated garden log: a bold "Garden log, [today's date]" heading, then bold sections: **Planted today** (with location and any notes), **Observations** (what's thriving or struggling, with any lesson in italics), and **Care** (watering, feeding, etc.). Keep my specifics, varieties, and lessons. Don't invent plants or observations. Output only the log.
Make it your own. This is a starting point. Once it's in Contextli, tweak the instructions so the output comes out exactly how you like it.
Use this context
One click copies it and shows you exactly how to drop it into Contextli.
Next, open Contextli, go to the Contexts page, click Import, choose From JSON, paste, then Import Context. It is ready to use.
Make it your own. This is a starting point. Once it's in Contextli, tweak the instructions so the output comes out exactly how you like it.
Your raw recording and transcription stay on your device, so you can always go back to the original.
Related contexts
Home Maintenance Log
You spot the leaky faucet or notice the filter's due and tell yourself you'll deal with it, then don't. Say what needs doing and when you last did it. You build a running home log, so the gutter clean and the boiler service stop sneaking up as expensive surprises.
Field Observation Note
Out in the field, on a site, in nature, on a walk-through, writing means stopping and losing the moment. Just speak what you see as you see it. You get a clean, timestamped observation log, so the detail you noticed at 9:14am is still there when you're back at your desk.
Recipe Experiment Note
You riff on a recipe, it comes out amazing, and next time you can't remember what you changed. Mid-cook or right after, say what you did differently and how it turned out. You build your own cookbook of what actually works, in your kitchen, with your taste.
Questions people ask
Questions homeowners ask about Garden Log
What is the best way for a homeowner to capture field notes on-site without a clipboard?
Speak your observations into Contextli immediately after the walkthrough or site visit, while the details are sharp. The Garden Log context structures your spoken description of the site into a field note with the key fields. You have a structured record before you get back to your vehicle.
How do I take field notes hands-free while walking a site?
Add the Garden Log context to Contextli, then speak your observations as you walk. Because you are speaking rather than typing, your hands are free and you can look at what you are describing. The context formats your words into a field note when you finish.
What should a field note include to be useful later?
It should include the date, the site address or identifier, the specific observations made with location references, any issues found and their severity, and the recommended next steps. The Garden Log context captures all of these from your spoken walkthrough.
How do I share field notes with a client or team quickly after a site visit?
After dictating your observations using the Garden Log context, copy the structured field note and paste it into an email, a client portal, or a project tool. The output is plain text that reads cleanly without any special formatting.
How do I add this context to Contextli?
Copy the context on this page, then open Contextli and go to the Contexts page. Click Import, choose From JSON, paste it into the Import from Clipboard window, and click Import Context. It is ready to use in under 30 seconds. If you do not have Contextli yet, you can download it for free first.
Is my voice recording private? Does Contextli send it anywhere?
Your voice recording and the transcription are stored on your device only. Contextli processes your audio locally and does not send your recordings or transcription text to any server. The structured output it produces is text you control, and you decide where it goes.
Can I change what the output looks like?
Yes. Every context in Contextli is a starting point you can edit. Open the context in the app, change the instructions to adjust the structure, tone, or fields, and save. The next time you use it, the output reflects your changes. You are not locked into the default format.
Do I need to install an app to use this context?
Yes. Contextli is a free app. Download it, then copy this context and paste it into the Import from Clipboard window on the Contexts page. The whole process takes about 30 seconds.