Mini blinds do not last here in Texas. Sharpie marker lasts a few weeks of full sun. I have used the white plastic knives and write on them with an Elmers medium tip black paint pen some of the ones 3 years old are brittle. I would take ours home when we ate out or they are inexpensive. Scrub with scotchbrite and Dawn and use the paint pen they are low and easy to read.

Now I have switched to stakes made from discarded cedar fence boards and i an using roof flashing about $2 for an 8 ft 1 X 2 inch piece each stick makes 24 marker tops. I cut them with a metal cutting blade for my circular saw and then grind down the pointy tips. I am diping them in rustoleum paint and then writing on them with the paint pen. Hopefully these will last many years. I am considering soaking them in wood preserver. I drill 2 holes in the one inch side and use galvanized nails to attach them to the stake. total cost about 10 cents per marker.

These work for larger plants and defined plantings. However the knives work well for identifying individual plants my wife has about 200 iris plants named varieties in large beds so it is important that each individual iris be named. the knives are perfect for that.

Bill

Mini blinds do not last here in Texas. Sharpie marker lasts a few weeks of full sun. I have used the white plastic knives and write on them with an Elmers medium tip black paint pen some of the ones 3 years old are brittle. I would take ours home when we ate out or they are inexpensive. Scrub with scotchbrite and Dawn and use the paint pen they are low and easy to read.

Now I have switched to stakes made from discarded cedar fence boards and i an using roof flashing about $2 for an 8 ft 1 X 2 inch piece each stick makes 24 marker tops. I cut them with a metal cutting blade for my circular saw and then grind down the pointy tips. I am diping them in rustoleum paint and then writing on them with the paint pen. Hopefully these will last many years. I am considering soaking them in wood preserver. I drill 2 holes in the one inch side and use galvanized nails to attach them to the stake. total cost about 10 cents per marker.

These work for larger plants and defined plantings. However the knives work well for identifying individual plants my wife has about 200 iris plants named varieties in large beds so it is important that each individual iris be named. the knives are perfect for that.

Bill

Mini blinds do not last here in Texas. Sharpie marker lasts a few weeks of full sun. I have used the white plastic knives and write on them with an Elmers medium tip black paint pen some of the ones 3 years old are brittle. I would take ours home when we ate out or they are inexpensive. Scrub with scotchbrite and Dawn and use the paint pen they are low and easy to read.

Now I have switched to stakes made from discarded cedar fence boards and i an using roof flashing about $2 for an 8 ft 1 X 2 inch piece each stick makes 24 marker tops. I cut them with a metal cutting blade for my circular saw and then grind down the pointy tips. I am diping them in rustoleum paint and then writing on them with the paint pen. Hopefully these will last many years. I am considering soaking them in wood preserver. I drill 2 holes in the one inch side and use galvanized nails to attach them to the stake. total cost about 10 cents per marker.

These work for larger plants and defined plantings. However the knives work well for identifying individual plants my wife has about 200 iris plants named varieties in large beds so it is important that each individual iris be named. the knives are perfect for that.

Bill

Mini blinds do not last here in Texas. Sharpie marker lasts a few weeks of full sun. I have used the white plastic knives and write on them with an Elmers medium tip black paint pen some of the ones 3 years old are brittle. I would take ours home when we ate out or they are inexpensive. Scrub with scotchbrite and Dawn and use the paint pen they are low and easy to read.

Now I have switched to stakes made from discarded cedar fence boards and i an using roof flashing about $2 for an 8 ft 1 X 2 inch piece each stick makes 24 marker tops. I cut them with a metal cutting blade for my circular saw and then grind down the pointy tips. I am diping them in rustoleum paint and then writing on them with the paint pen. Hopefully these will last many years. I am considering soaking them in wood preserver. I drill 2 holes in the one inch side and use galvanized nails to attach them to the stake. total cost about 10 cents per marker.

These work for larger plants and defined plantings. However the knives work well for identifying individual plants my wife has about 200 iris plants named varieties in large beds so it is important that each individual iris be named. the knives are perfect for that.

Bill

Great idea lakewaylady - esp. the ID in the tines of a fork!

I recently say an idea on Thrifty Fun for plant markers. Use an old mini-blind and cut off the plastic blinds and cut to size. It make oodles and some to share.

Darn!
I just threw away 6 sets of mini blinds a week ago !!!!
They were white too.

I'm keeping my eyes curbside for discarded mini-blinds - looking to pick some up. :)

Last weekend I was looking for plant markers and wanted some pretty clay ones. They were all too expensive online so I went to my local craft store and bought sculpty for 1.99 in a terra cotta color and made them. To anchor them in the garden I purchsed stainless steel bbq screwers for 4 for 1.20. That have the metal loop on the end. These were a very economical solution for me.

I saw this yesterday on Gardening by the Yard. Writing on broken shards of terracotta pots. I use cedar wood shims, they are very cheap.

Lakewaylady, I like your idea of using old cutlery for plant markers and will definitely use that idea. TFP I think stainless steel cutlery would work better than silver as it doesn't tarnish. There's lots of that for sale in YS's.

I've used a ceramic paint pen to write on old plates with the name of the plant. It's really best suited to a cottage garden tho. The plates are baked so the writing is very durable.

I hit the jackpot at my local Salvation Army Thrift store. I paid $3.00 for 86 flat handle stainless steel knives and that doesn't even count the large handful of assorted spoons and forks that also could be put to use. Think I am set for life!
In the past I have tried the mini-blinds and found they get brittle and snap quite easily. The knives should hold up quite well under the heavy blanket of snow that northern NH gets.
Hope your growing season has been better than ours....we had a huge amount of rain and everything is about 6 weeks late in growing (if it didn't rot first). Slugs have been very happy. :(

If you have access to river rock, which I do (idiot landscaper put it in the side yards and I hate it)! Consider writing with indelible ink on the rock, and putting it on the ground next to the plant, or in the container.

Old blinds with pencil or china marker last all season here.