Interesting topic Sharen,
Jo Ann buries her labels and I started doing it to, when the labels break I just burry the pieces until I can get around to writing up a fresh one.
I'm in the process of switching all of my labels to the thicker plastic ones which are cast instead of cut, and I only use pencil now because even permanent markers fade quickly. Those cast plastic labels hold up really well, I use the luster leaf 4" ones and have for three years, so far I've only see them break when I really torque them.
I've been keeping tabs on the color phases the plants have, with regards to my cultivar collection I have a fairly good idea of when they shift and to what, but for my seedlings I keep detailed records on the duration of color phases, often accurate down to the month. I now use numbers as per Kevin's suggestions to help keep things organized. Those numbers correspond with overhead images from the original plantings, taken in the second year of growth and labeled with tiny notations, which also correspond with a written log of brief descriptions. Before I started doing that I simply wrote all of the information in fine print on the label that went with the plants after they were moved from the seedling beds, that works to but it's a little tough to get all the cross and color phase info on a tiny label.
Back to the cultivars, I always thought it'd be cool to have the hybridizer's name and year of release with the plant, perhaps even the country of origin, but thanks to websites like this one that's not really necessary. I use this website not only for research but also for documentation, and it's been a valuable tool in storing data on my plants. I actually have a very close relationship with my collection as well, some of my labels have broken and have yet to be replaced because I'm in no rush to do so, knowing most of them by sight. Sure at a glance I might have difficulty telling the difference between 'Pinkerine' and 'Pink Lemonade', but so long as the label's on one of them a little detective work is all it takes. Plus 'Pink Lemonade' goes yellow when it gets too much sun, where 'Pinkerine' is pretty much pink till crispy! but after growing them for years I just know that kind of stuff.
I do keep my receipts and try to keep track of where I got things from, just incase there is a plant with the same name sold elsewhere which is not the same plant I have, at which point I have a lead to follow in the case of determining the validity of it's name.
I think you can be as organized or as careless as suits you, so long as you know what's what, the info is on the web to be reread at any time.
-Sol
