Scottish Rock Garden Club Forum
General Subjects => General Forum => Topic started by: SJW on November 26, 2014, 02:18:15 PM
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Like many forumists I've used a variety of labels over the years - bought and home-made. I'm currently working my way through some old painted aluminium window blinds (familiar to readers of Ian's bulblog). I'm not keen on the standard garden centre ones - too thick and a bit narrow. I've often bought plants on the sales tables with labels that are flexible, slightly wider and come in a variety of colours. Also easy to write on using a pencil. Are these PVC labels? I can't seem to find a UK supplier - just online stuff from China. Where do forumists get theirs from?
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... too thick and a bit narrow.
In the interests of clarity and the libel laws, my use of the expression 'too thick and a bit narrow' was in relation to plant labels and not any of my non-gardening friends. ;D
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I get my black ones here:
http://www.wellsandwinter.co.uk/plant-labels.htm (http://www.wellsandwinter.co.uk/plant-labels.htm)
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I get mine from SRGC shows and event, where Glassford Sprunt has various colours as well as glassine envelopes for sale. Probably not much help to you unless you'll be venturing north in show season.
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seems you can make labels from cans of Red Bull. Because red Bull is very acid, the cans are made of aluminium because steel would rust. So, using a metal scissor you can cut labels out of red Bull cans and engrave the name on these labels with a nail. I'm definitely going to try this. The only problem for me ... i don't drink red Bull :o So, I rely on the colleagues at the office to bring me a few of their empty cans.
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Many drinks cans are made from aluminium - including beer cans- so there could be a wide choice of can for homemade aluminium labels ::) 8)
Mind the sharp edges !
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Many drinks cans are made from aluminium - including beer cans- so there could be a wide choice of can for homemade aluminium labels ::) 8)
For ecological reasons I never buy any drink in cans or in one-way (plastic) bottles. But at the office I tested a few cans of cola with a magnet, and the magnet told me they contain iron. So, even if I use beer cans I still must ask to the colleagues to drink for me ;D I'm sure they will be happy to help me out.
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I get my black ones here:
http://www.wellsandwinter.co.uk/plant-labels.htm (http://www.wellsandwinter.co.uk/plant-labels.htm)
Yes, I think that company did stock them but now only available in red: http://www.wellsandwinter.co.uk/product.asp?prodID=87&prodName=Plastic%20Labels. (http://www.wellsandwinter.co.uk/product.asp?prodID=87&prodName=Plastic%20Labels.)
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For ecological reasons I never buy any drink in cans or in one-way (plastic) bottles. But at the office I tested a few cans of cola with a magnet, and the magnet told me they contain iron. So, even if I use beer cans I still must ask to the colleagues to drink for me ;D I'm sure they will be happy to help me out.
I expect your colleagues will be more than willing, François !
I was thinking more of some other forumists - who might be happy to drink quite a lot of canned beer for their own use of the cans ::) ;) ;D
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I get my labels here: http://www.labelsnthings.co.uk/. (http://www.labelsnthings.co.uk/.) I use a Brother label maker, also from these people. But plastic labels are brittle and snap easily, so if any one knows of a source of tough flexible ones I would be most interested.
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For black, flexible plastic labels I have in the past cut up black plastic pots. There's always too many of them lying around - not sure how that happens, it not as if I buy any plants.... ::) - and if I'm using plastic pots I prefer square ones as they pack together well, more plants per square metre. It's probably better to cut them up and re-use them rather than putting them in the recycling, and they certainly retain their flexibility even after prolonged exposure to sunlight.
So far I've only used them as temporary markers, but I notice that Wells and Winter sell silver paint pens (which I'm sure I could also find locally), although I wonder how they would work with a Brother label maker. My handwriting is not the neatest and it would seem like a sensible approach to use the label maker with black plastic pot strips.
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Not just red Steve:
http://www.wellsandwinter.co.uk/product.asp?prodID=82&prodName=Push%20In%20Small (http://www.wellsandwinter.co.uk/product.asp?prodID=82&prodName=Push%20In%20Small)
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I use 5" pliable vinyl pot stakes from Horticultural Printers. Their online catalog does not specifically mention that they only ship in US & Canada, but it's implied that's the case. These don't break, they will bend, and accept regular lead pencil, and can last intact and legible for decades. I buy green ones, as they're not as hideous in the garden as white ones. Minimum order is $50 US.
Click this link:
http://www.horticulturalprinters.com/hp_frameset.asp?location=/standard_page_2.asp?categoryid=121 (http://www.horticulturalprinters.com/hp_frameset.asp?location=/standard_page_2.asp?categoryid=121)
...from menu sidebar, click "Stakes", then click "Pot Stakes"
[attachimg=1] [attachimg=2]
I think I posted about these labels back in 2010, when I replaced a green vinyl label on Allium kochii, it was 19 years old, and still legible. I transcribed the information to a new label, was a white label (had run out of my preferred green flexible vinyl ones), that label lasted (in pieces) for 4 years until I replaced it yet again with a green vinyl label.
[attachimg=3]
Broken white plastic label (not thick plastic, but a supposedly flexible plastic, but only flexible for first season).
[attachimg=4]
I'm in process of replacing all the white labels, with flexible green ones, you can see from the Epimedium platypetalum photo that the green labels are much less visually distracting as white ones, I count 8 labels in that photo.
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Steve, Anglo-Scottish Packaging have a good selection of colours of plastic plant labels. Start here and if these are not what you are after a further look around the site should come up with more.
http://www.angloscottish.net/horticultural-labels-34-c.asp (http://www.angloscottish.net/horticultural-labels-34-c.asp)
For my black plastic labels and white marker pens I use The Essentials Company
http://www.theessentialscompany.co.uk/Black_Labels.html#Black (http://www.theessentialscompany.co.uk/Black_Labels.html#Black) Jumbo
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Oh, should've mentioned in my previous message, I cut my flexible vinyl labels in half with scissors, doubling the value of an order of labels.
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Oh, should've mentioned in my previous message, I cut my flexible vinyl labels in half with scissors, doubling the value of an order of labels.
Scottish blood gets everywhere........ ;) 8)
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normally get them from LBS in boxes of 1000 - however got about 10,000 from Wilco when they were getting rid of the gardening stuff in autumn - and they are surprisingly good quality - just got hundreds of pencils as there was 1 with every 50 labels
also got a dyno pro and a TEC thermal printer as well - TEC does 4 labels a second, so gets through a drum of 1,000 quite quickly
on plastic labels always use a very fine paint pen and the labels last for years - always put two labels in every plant so if I re-pot and can split you always have a label
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I get mine from SRGC shows and event, where Glassford Sprunt has various colours as well as glassine envelopes for sale. Probably not much help to you unless you'll be venturing north in show season.
These are without doubt the best labels ever. They do not crack after long exposure to sun. I initially bought 10,000 in various colours - my friends were very impressed.
It is a Scottish manufacturer, but I cannot remember the name - Maggi please help
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It is a Scottish manufacturer, but I cannot remember the name - Maggi please help
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See reply 13
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See reply 13
Yes, thanks, David! http://www.angloscottish.net/horticultural-labels-34-c.asp (http://www.angloscottish.net/horticultural-labels-34-c.asp)
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They would seem to be quite expensive. Hope they last. My last 1000 purchase from Ebay in 2012 was £8.50 + postage. Guess both will be a bit more now but I hope inflation has not gone that far. I find the soft pencil I use now lasts far longer than the labels which I usually crack by knocking or bending unintentially. Digging an old garden recently I last planted something in ~1983 I dug up some cut up yogurt pot labels and they were still readable. Still grow some of the plants too.
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Brian
They are really good. I always buy more from Glassford when attending the Discussion weekend.
David - sorry I missed your info.
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Steve, Anglo-Scottish Packaging have a good selection of colours of plastic plant labels. Start here and if these are not what you are after a further look around the site should come up with more.
http://www.angloscottish.net/horticultural-labels-34-c.asp (http://www.angloscottish.net/horticultural-labels-34-c.asp)
Thanks, David. They look like the ones I've been after. And pleased to hear from Art that they're very good.
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My longest-lasting labels, the ones on fruit trees and rhododendrons, are by
MacPenny. I bought them in the UK in 1979. The black sides have faded from
exposure in the 35 years they've been hanging from branches, but they are
still legible.
For seedlings and vegetables, I cut up yogurt containers and use a grease pencil
(aka china marker).
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I get mine from SRGC shows and event, where Glassford Sprunt has various colours as well as glassine envelopes for sale. Probably not much help to you unless you'll be venturing north in show season.
Me too - Sometimes Glassford sells them at the Hexham show, which is where I stocked up last year. They are excellent and I've never had one snap or go brittle. They are flexible and easy to write on with pencil. Many thanks for the link to the manufacturers!
Labels & Things used to sell some very similar and I would often buy them if I saw the company stand at a flower show but this type is not listed on their website any longer and I couldn't find any on their stand at the Holker Hall show back in the summer.
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I'm working my way through a box of black ones I brought with me.
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Me too - Sometimes Glassford sells them at the Hexham show, which is where I stocked up last year. They are excellent and I've never had one snap or go brittle. They are flexible and easy to write on with pencil. Many thanks for the link to the manufacturers!
Labels & Things used to sell some very similar and I would often buy them if I saw the company stand at a flower show but this type is not listed on their website any longer and I couldn't find any on their stand at the Holker Hall show back in the summer.
Exactly which labels on the AngloScottish website are we talking about?
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It s the top row
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I was talking these
http://www.angloscottish.net/100-x-16mm-stick-in-pink-178-p.asp (http://www.angloscottish.net/100-x-16mm-stick-in-pink-178-p.asp)
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I don,t use labels. Often they are the only thing that survives.
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I don,t use labels. Often they are the only thing that survives.
Oh, bless, Ian - what a heartfelt comment - a real "Eeyore" moment there . I don't doubt that we can all sympathise with that sentiment - there are a lot of self-confessed mass plant murderers around this place :-X but your sad little statement really struck a chord - and my funny bone, I'm ashamed to say. ;) :D Thank you for giving me that giggle!
I AM sympathetic, honestly! :-*
[attachimg=1]
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I don,t use labels. Often they are the only thing that survives.
;D ;D ;D I know the feeling.
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that's why I always put two in - optimism and hope................ ;D
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I think one of the problems is we only need a proprtion of our labels to have a long life. Many of mine go with the plants in plant sale's etc. and in the garden maybe just some keep their label. Real long life labels are only needed in long life special plants. But of course I use the same labels for nearly all plants. I do have letter punches and a Vibrotool etc. but rarely use them for plant labels. Too much time and effort which I would prefer to use with the plants.
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Get these label holders from the Essentials Company and get a local printer to make up sticky weatherproof labels for them. They seem to last.
(http://i1280.photobucket.com/albums/a497/kevinjamesbegley/062_zps3bebf492.jpg)
(The two labels at the back that appear grey are not. It's just the way the pic was taken with my camera.)
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At one time I disdained labels, thinking that I would know where all the bulbs were planted without discovering them with a very sharp trowel. I now think that labels add an air of Serious Intent.
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I use these
http://www.wellsandwinter.co.uk/product.asp?prodID=86&prodName=Angled%20Face%20Alpine/Low%20Grower/Seed%20Tray (http://www.wellsandwinter.co.uk/product.asp?prodID=86&prodName=Angled%20Face%20Alpine/Low%20Grower/Seed%20Tray)
and a Brother label printer using the TZ laminated tape. Some of them have been in the garden over 10 years and are not showing any signs of the tape falling off or the wording on it fading, and labels are still flexible.
For seedlings and stuff I sell where I know the label is not going to be needed for long I have a hundreds of stick in plain white ones that I got from my Dad who got them 40 years ago, keep them in a clear plastic box and they usually last 4 years or so in the sun before getting brittle.
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In addition to labelling my plants I catalogue them. Friends pick up a label to discover what a plant is ... and then put it back on a different plant!
I have a list of the plants in my borders in "walking order" on my phone, I include the number of "strides" from the end of the bed so that I can add new items even when nothing nearby is in leaf. No help if I were to plant two very similar plants next to each other, but that's rarely a problem for me except where I have a collection of something. (I use Evernote on my phone, tablet and PCs as it synchronises with my other devices whenever they next connect to the network)
In some places where I do have similar plants side-by-side, such as the Tomatoes in my greenhouse or varieties of vegetables, I plant them in alphabetical order - thus if the labels get lost I can more work out which is which.
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..........................I have a list of the plants in my borders in "walking order" on my phone, I include the number of "strides" from the end of the bed so that I can add new items even when nothing nearby is in leaf..........................
Must have a pretty long cable then ??? :P ;D