Teresa -- the label-maker seems determined to waste tape -- I've tried to find a way around it and found only one way to do it. When I type in a name, I tap *space* three times and then type in the next name, space three times then next name -- like that. The printer will only allow so many -- usually around five -- and then it gives you the message *full*. And then I print it. Doing this only wastes about an inch of tape at each end of the print-out.

I buy my tape on Ebay -- just paid around sixty dollars for five cassettes. They run almost twenty dollars each at Office Depot!!

Phillip - you were way ahead of me! You work in clay, too? I like the idea of the wire holders, too.
My porcelain clay is very strong and fired to almost 2300 degrees f. I think they'd stand up to being stepped on.
I'm going to try to find the time today to make some - and report back. I do like the idea of no-fade i.d.

Glad that you grow Black Lightning, oh by the way, nice marker also.

For labels, I cut up the thicker orange and green one gallon nursery pots. (I prefer the orange) I get around 18 labels per pot. I write the names with a paint pen purchased from a craft store. I step on these labels all of the time and they bounce right back up. No fading has happened in 2 years and you know this plastic was made to take the sun. If I made a mistake, or if something dies, no worries...just take some rubbing alcohol and wipe the name off.

I do love the metal tags some of you use and those clay ones are great too!

Muddymitts said:

I buy my tape on Ebay -- just paid around sixty dollars for five cassettes. They run almost twenty dollars each at Office Depot!!

Took me awhile to find this post in order to correct it. I paid thirty dollars -- NOT sixty dollars -- for five cassettes. So that's six dollars apiece. And that included shipping!!!

Rob -- got a picture? I can't picture this -- aren't they all curvy then?

I got lazy and stopped rounding off the top

Rob, your idea sounds a lot better. I bought a box of 100 plastic labels that stick in the ground, that came with a marker - well I found yesterday that not only are the plastic labels breaking, but the writing is fading on the markers - and they've only been in the ground a few weeks

I suppose it depends on whether a person is trying to mark a plant , to guard it's ID against loss.....faulty memory, lost garden map, what ever.....or, "label" it, so others can easily see the information, or, maybe both. I make a 'ground tag" .....some aluminum tags I picked up REAL cheap, a long time ago, marked with one of those electric engraving pens, attached by a bit of copper wire to a galvanized 'pole barn" nail. I shove the nail (8" long) into the soil , at the base of the plant. The "shine" of the tags might put some folks off, as being a bit "un slightly", and, if I really was bothered, I could rake a little soil over them.
For plant "labels", I use the ones from Pawpaw, and a Dymo labeler (similar to the Brothers). I'll be back with some pics, in a bit.....somebody's at the door..............

Here's what I'm using:


I know a few who make their ground tags from strips of aluminum beer cans, but, they can be sharp, and can cut your finger....especially after emptying a few of the cans.
It, again, boils down to "what you have available, what you want to spend...both in time, as well as cash, and what you think will look good in the bed." For some folks, with only a few dozen plants to mark, there are some 'commercial' sources for pre-engraved plant labels....very neat, and attractive in the bed, and they look like they would last a long time.......for many of us, with several hundred plants...it would be a pretty pricey way to go, though!

Pretty cool, Rob!

Oh -- and you have Looky Loo?????????????????

Mary Ann's just sayin'...

janwax said:Phillip - you were way ahead of me! You work in clay, too? I like the idea of the wire holders, too.
My porcelain clay is very strong and fired to almost 2300 degrees f. I think they'd stand up to being stepped on.
I'm going to try to find the time today to make some - and report back. I do like the idea of no-fade i.d.

Yes, just a hobby though, I do have some porcelain slip so one of these days I should try making the markers out of porcelain. I've also wondered about making them out of terra cotta (edit to add: colored stoneware) which would blend in the landscape better. Some of my garden markers are 20 years old, been buried, found again, and are still intact and going strong.

I am envying you the skill to make markers for your iris gardens. They are lovely and I wish I could do that. sigh

Bonnie, you can !