Make Your Own Plant Labels

 Pre-glazed ceramic plant labels

How many times have you forgotten where you planted something or have rows and rows of mystery seedlings come up every year?

Those of us who don’t bother with planting plans start off with the best of intentions but generally forget what’s planted where. 

Labelling rows of seedlings is quite an important step in spring and some of us also like to put labels on almost anything else that grows. Not always because we want to be able to identify them but because labels can look pretty too.

Be it for decoration or necessity I have had a look at loads of different methods of label making, some fancier and more reliable than others. I’ll let you decide.

Plant Labelling Tips

Ask yourself a couple of questions before starting:

Would you prefer a decorative marker for a special plant that doubles as garden art?  Or like me just something functional and cheap? No fuss and no frills.

Do you need a temporary or permanent solution? Is the label only needed for the short term? (e.g. if you are raising seeds, using indoors or just one season)  Or would you want it to last long term? (e.g. multiple seasons, outdoors, or for a particular species in your garden) 

Decorative Labels

For indoor try laminating seed packets or design your own labels and put them on lolly sticks. Another good indoor idea is to paint the pots with blackboard paint and then chalk the plant names on these. You can change the names along with the plants if they are short lived.

Metal Spoons. These can be used to hold labels in the tines or you could flatten the bowl end and stamp the names of the plants on them with a letter punch.

Terracotta/Clay Pots and China. Sometimes pots and crockery break. This is a perfect opportunity to reuse and not discard the broken pieces. 

Plastic corrugated signs.  This is the material local politicians use to show their faces to the world come election time (estate agent s use them too) The white areas can be cut into strips and written on with an indelible marker before pushing into the ground.  Plastic containers, milk, ice cream lids, yogurt etc. can be cut into strips too and used in the same way.

Seed Packet and Jar. Secure used seed packets to lolly sticks, stick these in the ground and cover with a clear glass jar to weather proof, or just lock the labels in the jar. Like old carpets with nylon backing, glass is becoming very unpopular in the garden as the jars can easily break.

Bricks. For larger, easier-to-read plant labels that can’t be easily knocked over or broken use bricks — either intact or broken — work well as garden markers. Simply paint, let dry, and put into place.

Window Blinds. Just one accordion-style (Venetian) window blinds would be enough for a lifetime of plant labels. The individual pieces can be cut into stakes of varying lengths and labelled with the names of your growing veggies.

River Rocks & Beach Stones. For a natural look, collect smooth, medium-sized stones from rivers and beaches and label them with the names of your plants using weatherproof paint. Seal with a clear coat to avoid fading.

Wine Corks. Save wine corks and label them with permanent marker. Use wooden skewers as stakes for the corks.

Aluminium Duct Tape. This can be stuck onto most surfaces and written on, it will compress the tape and show the wording all year.

Ceramic Tiles. Use up old tiles to make weather-proof markers. Most tiling shops have a throw away bin with odds and ends. These can be painted or stencilled with plant names and pictures. I’m making some stoneware ones myself which I can glaze lettering onto.

Painted Wood. Reuse timber off cuts from fencing or joinery and use up leftover external paint to fashion some simple plant labels.

Twig Labels. Prune some straight twigs or thin branches. Use a vegetable peeler or sharp knife to slice a flat surface. As the wood will decompose in the weather, use it as a temporary label.

 Shell Labels. Save your shells after a walk on the lovely Inishowen beaches and add a little creative flair. Cover with a clear gloss after painting if you like.

Plastic knives. These will last for years too, the marker ink can be removed at the end of the season and the knife reused.

In my experience I find any label only lasts a year, regardless of the material it is. For some unexplained reason they always turn up the following year when I empty out the compost bin. I might be a bit enthusiastic come tidy up time.