Scottish Rock Garden Club Forum

General Subjects => General Forum => Topic started by: David Nicholson on January 30, 2008, 07:56:20 PM

Title: Recommendations
Post by: David Nicholson on January 30, 2008, 07:56:20 PM
On Monday evening, via the Internet, I placed an order with the Essentials Company for some of the range of black plastic pot labels; on the same evening I place an order with The Garden Superstore for a couple of hundred 9cm square plastic pots. Both had been delivered by 1000 this morning.

As far as square plastic pots are concerned I could have bought an inferior quality cheaper, mine are Teku brand are rigid plastic. I could also have have bought Teku pots cheaper but only in trade quantities.

In case anyone else is interested I can recommend both firms and Links are below.

http://www.thegardensuperstore.co.uk/acatalog/Heavyweight_Square_Plant_Pots.html


http://www.theessentialscompany.co.uk/Black_Labels.html
Title: Re: Recommendations
Post by: mark smyth on January 30, 2008, 09:28:20 PM
I use the essentials company for 5" black labels. They are so much better looking than white ones. The white or silver paint lasts a long time too
Title: Re: Recommendations
Post by: Anthony Darby on January 30, 2008, 09:37:08 PM
Thanks guys. I'm, as Jack Sparrow said, "in the market".  Need both.
Title: Re: Recommendations
Post by: Ezeiza on January 30, 2008, 11:39:45 PM
Hi David:

               Many thanks for this link. Most interesting. In your experience how long these black plastic labels last for?

                Liquid Paper remains one of the most durable materials in existence.

                 Guys, do you know of a source in Britain for vynil lables, the type used in the States? They are very long lasting as well.


Regards
Title: Re: Recommendations
Post by: mark smyth on January 31, 2008, 12:15:24 AM
I've been using black labels in the garden since 2002 and they are OK except when my UK size 10/ Euro 44 lands on one
Title: Re: Recommendations
Post by: Ezeiza on January 31, 2008, 04:17:08 PM
Hi Mark:
             Thanks for the input.


Regards
Title: Re: Recommendations
Post by: David Nicholson on January 31, 2008, 05:38:07 PM
Hi David:

               Many thanks for this link. Most interesting. In your experience how long these black plastic labels last for?

                Liquid Paper remains one of the most durable materials in existence.

                 Guys, do you know of a source in Britain for vynil lables, the type used in the States? They are very long lasting as well.


Regards


Hi Albero, the black plastic labels do seem to outlast the white ones, and of course using a paint style marker they remain perfectly readable for much longer. I can't help with vinyl labels although Ian Young makes his own plastic ones from re-cycled Venetian blinds.
Title: Re: Recommendations
Post by: Ezeiza on January 31, 2008, 06:10:18 PM
Hi David:

                Many thanks, window blinds are great.

                These vynil labels I mentioned seem to be available from a single source in the States now and they come in a variety of colors. We use orange for our summer growers and green for the winter ones.

                 We run out of them for some time. But, we have many imported in 1990 and they are still in one piece. Our summers are like Namaqualand and there were times in which they got soft and limp from the heat, yet they did not become brittle!  Strangely those of the same material, same size but red in color did not even last for 4 months (????!!!)


Regards
Title: Re: Recommendations
Post by: Diane Whitehead on January 31, 2008, 06:55:56 PM
I bought MacPenny labels when I first visited England, in 1979, and
scratched names into the black side. I hung them in fruit trees and
rhododendrons, so they have been somewhat shaded, and they have
rarely suffered more than 30 C.

They are still flexible, and easily legible, though the black has faded
to a pale gray.

The aluminum labels I bought in the U.S. are durable, but oxidize
so that the name disappears.
Title: Re: Recommendations
Post by: mark smyth on February 01, 2008, 11:34:15 PM
My order of large label pins arrived today along with a white marker to label my collection for the hoards that will descend in 2 weeks. There will probably be nothing to see by them. The wind has ruined everything that was out. Only those in bud or in the green house still OK. My garden is fully exposed to the wind
Title: Re: Recommendations
Post by: Brian Ellis on February 07, 2008, 05:31:41 PM
Thanks for this link David, I ordered on Monday evening and it arrived whilst I was at Glen Chantry...and I didn't realise they are only a few miles down the road ::)
Title: Re: Recommendations
Post by: David Nicholson on February 07, 2008, 06:34:54 PM
Thanks for this link David, I ordered on Monday evening and it arrived whilst I was at Glen Chantry...and I didn't realise they are only a few miles down the road ::)

Glad to have helped Brian.
Title: Re: Recommendations
Post by: Susan on February 11, 2008, 03:48:13 AM
They might be "just down the road" for you Brian, but for me it is quite a long way, in fact, about as far away as you could get.  I ordered black labels and white pens on the 1st February, imagine my surprise when they turned up at my door on the 8th February.(Actually I was away but the neighbours told me they were there on Friday). What tremendous service.   They are so good and I am indebted to David for mentioning them, although I realise they are on the "Links" page. 

I am now hoping that my alpine garden will start to look a little less as though I have tombstones there. I will be interested to see how long they last in our ultra violet light as it can be very hard on dark plastic pots. 

Susan
Title: Re: Recommendations
Post by: mark smyth on February 12, 2008, 06:40:49 PM
Dont buy their stainless steel label holders aka butcher pins
Title: Re: Recommendations
Post by: David Nicholson on February 12, 2008, 07:08:35 PM
They don't look very stainless to me?
Title: Re: Recommendations
Post by: mark smyth on February 12, 2008, 07:16:41 PM
Precisely. They are contacting the manufacturer
Title: Re: Recommendations
Post by: Paddy Tobin on February 12, 2008, 09:23:33 PM
Why not use galvanised wire and make your own; very cheap, very easy, don't rust, last years.


Aluminium labels work very well I find.

Paddy
Title: Re: Recommendations
Post by: mark smyth on February 12, 2008, 10:47:58 PM
Wont look so good. These were bought for the coming show season
Title: Re: Recommendations
Post by: Brian Ellis on February 12, 2008, 11:04:10 PM
Wow Susan, that is impressive.  Big pat on the back to David for recommending them, I hope the alpine garden is already looking less like a graveyard, I certainly am very pleased with them - although I wish I had gone for the finest nib.
Title: Re: Recommendations
Post by: Susan on February 17, 2008, 01:02:17 AM
I went for the finest nib  and the 10cm black labels, and so far am very happy.  Although I paid shipping,the VAT was removed so that helped. From our point of view the exchange rate is not great, but 1000 will last a while if I'm careful and if they withstand our sunshine! At present the sunshine is not a bother I'm afraid. 

Susan (12 C with a howling gale)
Title: Re: Recommendations
Post by: Anthony Darby on February 17, 2008, 09:16:29 AM
I did the same Susan and they arrived on Wednesday.
Title: Re: Recommendations
Post by: mark smyth on February 17, 2008, 10:24:44 AM
I buy by the 1000 also. The extra fine paint pens are excellent. Their last supplier was having problems with ink suddenly blotting so they changed to a new pen. So far so good. Good news with the rusting label holders. I asked for only 12 to replace the rusted ones. He sent me another 50!
SimplePortal 2.3.5 © 2008-2012, SimplePortal