Evergreen notes are designed to evolve and accumulate value over time, rather than being written once and forgotten. Unlike transient notes — quick captures that lose relevance — evergreen notes are revisited, refined, and connected to new thinking as it develops.
The idea was coined by Andy Matuschak, who observed that most note-taking defaults to the transient kind: jotting things down in the moment with no intention to return. Evergreen notes push against that by demanding a practice of ongoing revision. Each note becomes a living artefact that improves with continued attention.
The broader culture of digital gardens shares much of the same spirit, though the emphasis there is more on learning in public and the gardening metaphor of planting, pruning, and growing ideas over time.