You got four copper tags for a buck. I bought a mess of them. No, you can't have them. I have also used small terracotta pots (written on with ceramic marker) Shells (also written on) Pot shards Egg shells (blown, whole) Bits of slate off of local roofs.

Bougainvillea it is. They thrive on abuse and resent being overly loved and pampered. Mine goes outside in the Summer in full sun (when it never seems to bloom). I bring it to work in October where it get morning full sun and moderate to coolish temps. I water it rarely throughout the Fall and Winter and it gets covered with flowers by New Year's Day. They don't like excessive rich/fertile soils..., I almost never fertilize mine. Not the plant for those who tend to coddle their plants.

Claudia, couldn't be simpler. Here are 3 photos showing the back, side view, and completed simple assembly of the 3 components of my plant I.D.: aluminum pet tag with plant name, screw post (also known as Chicago Screw, which is the name of the company I am getting these cool fasteners from), and aluminum tent stake. The Chicago Screw Co. has just come out with a 1/8" diameter screw post in brass which fits perfectly through the hole in the pet I.D. tag and the aluminum tent stake. The samples I received are just a tad too long, so tomorrow I will request a slightly shorter sample and then, BINGO, I will have the perfect components for a weather-proof attractive way to label all the hostas, heuchies, roses, etc. in my garden. It is a bit of an investment initially, but once it's done, it's done. No more relabeling plastic tags or watching them degrade. The pet tags (which are now on sale at Drs. Foster & Smith online for 99 cents---see my other post about this) come in a rainbow of colors. I simply stick to black because I find it is maximally contrast-y to read, but there's green, pink, blue, etc. available. With these cool screw posts, you just screw the screw part into the outer tube, resulting in a smooth shaft with the screw heads on both sides, neat as a pin and a very secure attachment. With the right length of screw post, there won't be any swinging of the I.D. tag or twisting so you can't read it, as I currently experience with the little rings the I.D. tags come with.

Ken, I guess you didn't catch my previous post, with detailed pics of how I assemble my plant I.D. tags. Here are pics: The 1 1/2" single-sided round tag with the loop on it which is exterior to the main circle. You then personalize it by filling out a couple of lines and clicking OK. Example: Hosta Dinky Donna I get them at www.pettags4less.com. There was a recent sale at www.drs.fostersmith.com, with the aluminum pet tags like this selling for 99 cents each, which I posted, but I don't know if that sale is over. The first place sells them for $2.29. The 9" aluminum tent stake. I like this brand, as the coppery color looks nice in the garden and harmonizes with the mulch and soil a whole lot better than the red, purple, blue, etc. ones I've seen. This is the Coghlan 9" ultra lite tent stake of anodized aluminum. It won't rust and there is no paint to flake off, so it stays this color. I remove the pull-string and utilize the hole it was threaded through. The brass 1/8" diameter screw posts. I found that the 5/16" length was perfect to fasten the plant I.D. tag to the tent stake. The one in this picture is a tad longer than 5/16", but it gives you the idea. The threaded part screws into the tubular part, which has an internal threading. Neat, out of the weather, doesn't rust. They also sell screw posts in stainless steel, aluminum, and plastic, but not all come in the 1/8" diameter, which is a new product. The assembled finished product: