[Sive]

Not sure where to put this question, but here it is:
I am establishing quite a large new garden, and while I can usually remember a lot of the plant names, I definitely can't remember names of individual cultivars.
That doesn't bother me hugely except that I really don't want to be buying a plant I already have, so I need to be more disciplined and label my plants.
Has anyone found a sure-fire, weather-proof way of labelling plants ? I've tried various plastic labels and non-fade markers...and they do....fade, I mean!

[walltoall]

Hello Sive
No problem. Take shots of everything with your phone or digital camera and if you have the technology store them on your computer, dated and labelled.

I use permanent markers and plastic labels for 26 roses whose names I want to remember but I overwrite the labels at least once a year. If you can keep the label shaded it fades much more slowly. I soon learned to make sure the writing faced downwards and that the labels were shaded and low down on the roses.

You can also use wee brown phials that pills come in from the pharmacy. Modify the screw cap to take a plastic clip for the plant. Put the label into the phial and screw on the cap.

If you want to use white plastic tags which stick into the ground, write your tag and when the ink is dry put an unused tag over the writing and shove the pair together into the ground. This prevents fading entirely in my experience

[Sive]

Thanks for that, walltoall. Your idea of photos is so simple and effective, I've no idea why I didn't think of that myself! A brilliant way of "seeing" my plants any time of the year. I will start doing that immediately.
And your advice about labels is really helpful too, I will definitely try the "double" label idea.
Could you explain your comment about "wee brown phials" and "spam"....sorry, but I have no idea what you're referring to, but it sounds fascinating!
Thanks again.

[Dr. Sunny Thomson]

My uncle got one of those dremel engraving tools for Christmas and uses it to engrave the plant names into those metal or aluminium labels. They look classy and never fade. This wikipedia article shows the dremel http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dremel

[walltoall]

Thanks for the etching idea Dr. Sunny. That's really neat.

I have an engraver! Never though of using it in the garden! With your help, I also found a source of labels in my garage! Copper bridge brackets for nailing 3/4" pipe to a wall. Anneal and beat 'em flat with a light ball-pein. Just tried it

For Sive!

The 'wee brown phials' are the brown plastic containers Chemists )pharmacists give out pills (tablets) in. They don't let in much light and are pretty watertight. So you can write a permanent label, put it into the bottle and attach that to the plant or half bury it beside the plant.

[Sive]

Thanks walltoall, some gremlin had interfered with your original reply.....and left out the words chemist and pills, so I hadn't a clue what you were talking about! Now I understand! I'll also have a look at this engraver idea...sounds really permanent.

[James Kilkelly, was GPI.]

Well spotted Sive, the gremlin was a word censor application that remained from a time when the Irishgardeners.com got visits from shady characters trying to sell pills to increase your this, and prolong your that.
So to prevent the posting of their buzz word plus assorted swear words a word censor app would sub them for the word spam.
Since then other applications have been added to the sites software to prevent the shady characters from getting to post on the site at all.
Hope that clears it up for you.

[paddy-s]

Saw a beautiful victorian machine for labels. You use small metal letter blocks in a press and emboss the names etc onto copper strips. I am sure there must be a modern system that embosses onto plastic. Didn't Dymo used to make a plastic printing gadget.

[walltoall]

I'm falling about the place laughing, now that I understand what happened but I totally understand the censor methodology. I was slightly mystified at first until I re-read my submission in the light of word sensors. My computer returned the actual words I used even at preview and submit so I never even saw what spilt out of your monitor. I don't know how American word censors cope with Irish users, particularly 64 yo Irish grandads. I'll do my best to elucidate, educate, obfusticate and alleviate as long as you lads can cope with my old fashioned way of doing things.

[Sive]

Thanks for clearing that up GPI, i had half-wondered was that the reason, knowing what topics my spam usually presents me with! If I include the word spam, I wonder will that automatically be censored? !!
Paddy-S, I was trying to think of that word Dymo, so thanks for mentioning that. It seems strange there isn't a similar machine for gardeners.
There you go, a business opportunity out there for someone!
I went to Mount Usher Gardens yesterday, and there are SO many plants and trees to identify there (in the thousands) that I laughed at how sadly inept I am even with the few dozen I grow!!
Beautiful gardens,majestic trees and the River Vartry flowing through and on a totally irrelevant point, they make the best organic beef burgers in the cafe there that I have ever tasted.!!

[Prudence]

I've been having trouble with reading plant labels and heard about the Brother P-touch (I don't work for them). So I recently bought a P-Touch labeller (18R). The labels are laminated and the print is thermo transferred meaning no ink cartridge, the print is permanent and the labels weather resistant.

Here's a link to see what I'm talking about http://www.ptouchdirect.com/brother_ptouch_label_printers.html

Sue

[Sive]

Thanks for that Sue.....I see it is an American company, did you buy from the States? Did you have to pay any added tax/duty when it was delivered? I've never bought anything from the States and I've heard some horror stories about the courier firms demanding money at the door for American parcels.

[Prudence]

Hi Sive - I put that site up to show all the different ones you can get. Here is an Irish site:

http://www.brother.ie/g3.cfm/s_page/140690/s_level/36400

I got mine from Ebay.co.uk which I'm really pleased with. I also got the 18R as opposed to the cheaper ones as it has a qwerty keyboard, has a recharger and can plug into the computer so you can do the label on the computer and print them off on the p-touch.

The labels come in lots of different colours and I bought a fabric tape to label my daughters clothes for school.

I don't work for this company!! but the p-touch appears to have solved my plant labelling problem. I know of many people in the USA who swear by it.

All the best.

Sue

[Sive]

thanks sue, apologies for not replying sooner, internet has been down over the weekend. i will investigate that website as you advise...have just had a wrist operation, so am typing one-handed....and can't garden in this glorious weather either!
but i really appreciate all your advice.
enjoy our indian summer!

[James Kilkelly, was GPI.]

Sorry to hear about the wrist Sive.
you are probably still faster typing one-handed than I am with two hands.