Plant labels

I've tried all sorts of different label systems over the years. (For one summer, I worked at a nursery for a well-known garden centre. The wind had blown through the clematis area, and this "newbie" was identifying different clematis, none of which were in flower, by their slightly different leaf shapes and colours. About 1 in 5 had a label ... I think I did ok, they were fortunate to have an experienced 21 year old employee, but apologies if you ended up buying one of the approx 1000 clematis, if I'd mis-identified it ... )

Now I use a very simple permanent system. Strips of aluminium, bought by the metre, and cut into label lengths. Then I drill a hole in one end (the most fiddly part of the operation), like a plant label. I then get my metal embossing kit out. I stamp the plant name on the label, sometimes using both sides, if needed. Then it's a short length of wire through the hole, and I tie the label onto the main stem of the plant. The label hangs down discreetly alongside the main stem, so you can't "weed" them out, or separate them from the plant. The aluminium reflects the colour of the plant, and so merges in...

It's too much of a fiddle for annuals, but any permanent plant gets this treatment. V simple, v discreet, and v permanent.