Labelling-favourite methods?

I am just beginning to move my fuschias and other tender plants inside, and I' m trying to be organised and label them. I have tried the white plastic ones and indelible pens [labels fine but pens not indelible or if one does work, I lose it], copper ones with indenting tool [fine for larger plants, but too expensive for extensive use, also hard to read], aluminium ones with scratching tool [I can't read them after one season]. I haven't tried the plastic tape that you emboss. Has anyone found a foolproof method, so that I know just a little about the multiplicity of plants next spring?

 

Hi Liz,
I'm basically new to gardening however I have been brought up all my life around gardeners and gardens. My father, who was an expert and had a huge and beautiful garden which he opened to the public regularly and specialised in ancient roses but also had a vast array of other plants and shrubs, was very particular about his labelling. His preferred method was one of two although he tried everything. The indenting tool was one and the other was the white plastic strip except he had green ones, with the embossed plastic tape stuck to it. He found like you that the indelible pens were not indelible. However the plastic strip which you can get in various colours (he used black) lasted for ever especially if you stuck it down with super glue.
Hope this helps

 

I now just use white plastic and soft pencil on the rough side. I know that it is not very permanent. But the pencil does not fade as the pens can do. The big advantage of this is that I can easily recycle them, so I use them very freely to mark individual plants in the garden, each cutting pot etc.

 

hello what i do is use 2 white labels indelible pen i push 1 right down the side of the pot under the soil level writing faced outwards and leave 1 as normal which normally fades over time the one below soil level hardly ever fades :D :D

 

HI,another member of the plastic and soft pencil brigade as the pencil stays clear.However some pencils seem to be waxey and melt if left in the sun..guess who?I also use different coloured labels in spring when there are lots of seedlings.

 

Hi all,
Thanks very much for this- I have cadged an old embosser and found a pencil in my labelling tin. Will now begin to organise..........