What Is a Digital Garden?

A Digital garden is a digital, public 'garden' of live notes which are ever evolving and growing (like my notes/Notes). Also called a 'mind garden' or [[!Second brain]] (usually when maintained privately/offline), the 'garden' term represents the idea of notes which are constantly tended and exist in various stages of development.

Digital gardens are often built upon note-taking methodologies such as [[!Evergreen notes]] or a digital [[!Zettelkasten]]. Evergreen notes in particular reinforce the garden metaphor through note taxonomy with notes going from rough 'buds' to polished 'evergreens'.

While those methodologies focus on improving your personal learning and knowledge, digital gardens add a focus on [[!Learning in public]] and its benefits. They are a growing trend in personal websites (see: [[!Digital garden examples]]) thanks in part, I think, to the growing popularity of [[!Roam Research]] and expansion in 'tools for thought'.

Recommended reading:

• Maggie Appleton has an excellent article on digital gardens and their history
• Andy Matuschak's notes (The best digital garden example and reference in the business)
• Ness Labs is another great resource on the topic