Plant labels

[Maggi Young]

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  but your sad little statement  really struck a chord - and my funny bone, I'm ashamed to say.    Thank you for giving me that  giggle!
I AM sympathetic, honestly! 

[David Nicholson]

I don,t use labels. Often they are the only thing that survives.

     I know the feeling.

[Graeme]

that's why I always put two in - optimism and hope................

[brianw]

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.

[kindredspiritkevin]

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.



(The two labels at the back that appear grey are not. It's just the way the pic was taken with my camera.)

[penstemon]

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.

[Neil]

I use these

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.

[kGarden]

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.

[David Nicholson]

..........................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