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#+date: [2025-10-24 Fri 19:41:41]
#+title: Digital Garden
#+description: What a digital garden is and how I think about mine.
#+slug: digital-garden
#+filetags: :web:
* What's a Digital Garden?
Before I start describing digital gardens, I want to show a couple examples that
are distinct enough to show how varied digital gardens are.
The first is a website ([[https://avas.space][ava's space]]) and the second is a private collection of
notes, using [[https://www.orgroam.com/][org-roam]].
#+caption: avas.space
#+attr_html: :alt Ava's Space, a digital garden and website by Ava.
[[https://img.cleberg.net/blog/20251024-digital-garden/ava.webp]]
#+caption: Org Roam
#+attr_html: :alt A screenshot of an org-roam digital garden and collection of note files.
[[https://img.cleberg.net/blog/20251024-digital-garden/orgroam.webp]]
A digital garden is a personal space, just for you. It could serve any number of
purposes, which I'll get into later, but the key is that it serves a specific
purpose for yourself.
The primary features of a digital garden, as opposed to a personal website or
blog, is that it is not inherently structured in a strict manner, it may follow
a free form structure, it may look like a work-in-progress wiki.
At the end of the day, it defines a web page where any type of content exists
and the author takes time and care to prune it in a specific manner.
* Historical Context
A lot of people talk about [[https://www.eastgate.com/garden/Enter.html][Hypertext Gardens: Delightful Vistas]] by Mark
Bernstein as the first instance of this phrase on the internet. And while this
may be true, I want to take a step further back.
Have you heard of a [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Memex][Memex]]? This hypothetical device was described in Vannevar
Bush's 1945 article "As We May Think". He envisioned a device that would be able
to store all of a person's information for them - books, records, and
communications. The person could then reference the Memex for any information
and be guided to the correct spot. Essentially, it would the 1940's version of a
mind mapping or personal knowledge system.
From the Memex to Hypertext Gardens to mind maps to other knowledge management
systems, humans seem intent on constantly reinventing the art of information
organization.
The modern web is the result of 30+ years of redesigning the web to streamline
information. However, in this refinement, we've lost the art and beauty of
personal websites where people would dump all of the information relevant to
themselves.
Digital Gardens are a movement to bring these personal websites back and present
them in a personalized fashion.
* Common Uses
Before I get into /how/ to build a digital garden, I want to touch on the
potential uses. Everyone has their own reason for building a website and digital
gardens are no exception.
You may want to build a digital garden for any number of reasons:
- Knowledge management
- Creative exploration
- Collaborative learning
- Personal reflection
- Artistic expression
- Data hoarding
- Social interaction
* How to Build Your Own Garden
If you do want to create your own digital garden, you can get started with a few
easy steps:
1. *Choose a platform*: You can host a website for free on platforms like GitHub
or use a more note-taking platform like Notion or Obsidian.
2. *Set Up the Structure*: Decide how you want to organize your content. Remember
the purpose of a digital garden! Plant all of the information you care about
and then work to prune and clean them up as they grow.
3. *Start with Your Interests*: A digital garden should reflect yourself. Find
your passions and start from there.
4. *Regular Updates*: A garden won't grow if you ignore it. Remember to check in
and think if you want to add more, prune things out, or move things around.
5. *Interlinking Ideas*: Like plants and ecosystems, a digital garden should link
together. You may use tags or links to connect items on your own site or
perhaps includes links or lists to other gardens you enjoy.
By far the most important piece here is regular updates. You can always fix or
change things, but the garden won't grow if you don't contribute to it.
* Additional Suggestions
Digital gardens are such an easy way to manage your knowledge and unleash your
creativity. Instead of sticking to the usual blog format, you get a space where
your ideas can grow and change over time. Whether you want to document what
you’re learning, share thoughts with others, or just reflect on your journey, a
digital garden can be the perfect tool.
I strongly encourage you to create your own today, even if it starts as private
notes instead of a website! Nothing is ever too small and the point of a garden
isn't to be perfect, but to be a place where you can experiment and have fun.
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