Isn’t it a joy to visit a well-labeled garden where legible nameplates introduce you to each plant?
And is there a gardener among us who has not lost a plant or pertinent plant information simply because he relied on his memory?
Labels Aren’t Forgetful
Legibility, longevity, and good looks are desirable label qualities.
These essentials abound in labels on sale wherever gardening supplies are sold.
There are aluminum, plastic, wooden, and other kinds of labels—plain or colored.
Some plant labels come wired with self-attached strips or interlocking fasteners.
There is even a zippered one! Pens with weatherproof ink or pencils will mark wood and plastic.
Plastic has brought new beauty, color, and attractive shape to the world of plant labeling.
Plastic gives a long-lasting label impervious to rot, fungus, and mildew.
A plastic label can be rinsed clean without removing the writing on it.
On the other hand, a light scouring with a kitchen cleanser will make a plastic label clean as new and re-usable.
A Brief Plant Label History
Grove Plastic Products’ Pylon made labels in 8 sizes, in various shapes, all with easily read horizontal marking areas.
The standards for some of these were lengthened by the addition of extensions which came in multiples of 10″ inches.
Grove had a marker with a removable head which gave years of service.
In addition to zinc nameplates, Everlasting Label Company had a good line of plastic markers—familiar to everyone who grew African violets.
Another selection of plastic labels was available from Lifetime Markers.
They introduced some new tags which eliminated wire or string called “Snap-On,” the tags are simply snapped in place.
Robert C. Freeman manufactured a self-locking plastic label that was used horizontally or vertically and in combinations of units to provide more marking area.
The Economy Label Company had a hybridizer’s label, which provided space to record crosses and keep records.
In addition to plastic labels, Pilgrim Plastic sold a rubber stamp kit adapted to lettering plastic labels.
A New, Two-piece Plastic Label
The Harlane Company made an outstanding two-piece “Garden Guide” name stake available in a 10″ inch size for outdoors and 5 ½” inch size for pot plants.
The nameplate was pastel green, the stake forest green.
The plates were available plain or custom imprinted.
A pliable material came from Zippertubing.
A length of this could circle a stem and be locked in place with its zipper-like fastener.
Aluminum labels were rated highly because they did not rust or corrode.
They last indefinitely and resist wind. Some of these have stood weathering and remained legible for 10 years.
A Midwest firm, Santa Fe House, made a fancy aluminum nameplate especially designed for rose gardens.
More than a hundred rose variety names were embossed and kept in stock, while others were lettered at no extra charge.
Other outstanding aluminum labels included the following:
- Allen Weatherproof Tags
- Everlast labels by Wittek Products
- Permatags and Goetting Garden Markers
Merchant and Evans made a handy pocket-sized dispenser filled with aluminum tags to attach permanently to a galvanized wire stake or temporarily to a plant stem.
Zinc Labels Had A Good Reputation
Zinc is one of the most time-tested and widely used plants labeling materials.
The Everlasting Label Company had a selection of etched zinc labels in various sizes and shapes.
These are mounted on galvanized steel standards and make permanent plant markers.
The Twist-On Label Company had a plated zinc marker that may be permanently attached to a galvanized wire stake or temporarily to a small tree or bush.
The same firm made this Twist-On label in the following colors:
- white
- blue
- red
- green
- yellow aluminum
Goulard and Olena’s spiral wrap Dream labels of zinc were attached to bush or tree stems, and they would expand as the plant grows.
Some still favor wooden labels. These are available unfinished or coated lightly with white paint in commerce.
They come in sizes ranging from 3″ inches tall by ½” inch wide to a near stake size of 1 ½” inches by 12″ inches tall.
Most are pointed on end to be inserted in the soil, while some are wired to be attached to a wire, steel, or wooden stakes.
Moisture is the enemy of wooden labels, and if they are not treated with a chemical preservative, they will last two years at best.
A Way To Let Plants Keep Track Of Each Other
Another concept in plant marking is practiced by the Cecil Sickels family of Kellerton, Iowa.
They use living plants to mark dormant or slow-growing ones.
Petunias cover ripening tulip, daffodil, and hyacinth foliage. Petunia blooms serve as reminders that bulbs are resting underneath them.
Spring-flowering bulbs mark late risers, including:
- grape hyacinths circle jack-in-the-pulpits
- early irises grow at the base of late-rising hardy hibiscus
- marigolds or other annuals guard summer-dormant Oriental poppies
Even the perfectly labeled garden should be sketched on a piece of heavy paper which you can keep on permanent record.
Labeling plants is nothing new but still a wonderful addition to any garden.
No matter how durable a label may be, it is always possible to be lost.
46058 – by Peggie Shulz