Kim, are these the ones you use? I keep mine next to my computer so that while I'm online I can make more--that doesn't mean I'm good about actually taking them outside and putting them on the roses!;) I get these at a local nursery, Mt. Fuji, in Upland, CA. On mine I write the name, class, date and name of breeder (plus country), and where and when I acquired the plant. For example for Europa's Rosengarten the label shows Europa's Rosengarten Floribunda 1989, Karl Hetzel (Germany) Eurodesert Roses, CA, 2011 Here are some plant markers/signs used by Rancho Santa Ana Botanic Garden in Claremont, CA. Btw I asked about the markers, and they told me that they try to always put the ones with the accession number on the south side of the plant. So if you really want to know what it is, search for that marker (sometimes 2 different kinds are used--one in the ground the other wired on the plant). The signs are more prominent and contain more info. The last 2 above were on the same plant of R. minutifolia. What I like about what they are using is the heaviness of the wire gauge. I'm looking to find a wire that is a bit more substantial than what came with the Cole's (very fine--sharp looking too for rose canes!) and yet is still flexible and easy to work with and will fit through the pre-punched holes. Melissa

With great uncertainty, I just bought a P-Touch labeler. I'm glad to hear it works out. I use the tops of Fancy Feast catfood--I thread the pull tab through bamboo skewers--and have been painting the words on because everything else fades. It's labor intensive and recently I have run over several with the lawn mower because the roses grow and I move the labels to the edge of the bed. So I decided that even if the labels don't last as long as the paint, they are easier to replace.

Since starting and growing so many different plants I have started using Paw Paws Everlasting Labels. They are metal and come in all sizes and the ones I use have the little legs on them to push down into the ground to mark your plants. I will have to say that my iris beds and daylily beds look more like a business area, than a personal flowerbed. All of them are in rows of 5 with each row over 100ft long. I have 5 different sections, with each having 5 rows in them. They each have a metal label with their name, the name of either the company or person I got then from, and the date if possible. I will say it looks pretty neat at night when the moon light is beaming down and reflecting on the signs. They are a little pricey but they are well worth it.The best part about these labels/plant markers is that you can read whatever is on them without having to bend over and so forth. The people at Paw Paws are also very nice. I will say that a couple of people complained about the sign sliding down the legs sometimes. I must say that is caused by not spreading the legs out before pressing them into the ground. They can't slide down if the legs are spread out. I personally use nothing but the rose markers. May not be able to purchase any more since I'm no longer employed. Ya'll pray for me to be able to find another job.They are hard to come by out here in the country. I'm a little depressed at this time. I still had several orders of daylilies and things I need to finish paying off. I can't use our Social Security money for that. (frown) I'm beside myself. Marian

A long time back, I tried stamping on antique silver plated spoons. Modern silver plated spoons do not work, because they are made of stainless steel and are too hard. Here is one of my better attempts:Many other attempts turned out poorly due to my shaky strikes. I felt horrible for ruining antique spoons that will never be made again, so I stopped my project. If I take up stamping again, I will order dog tags like yours, Cori Ann. Thanks for the idea. Your tags look fantastic. I still have the stamping tools, which were not cheap. I considered them a long term investment. Here is another possible tag idea. At pettags4less.com, I ordered these stainless steel engraved pet tags. They are $3.89 each, including shipping and engraving. That is pricey if you have a lot of roses, but I do not have that many. Only roses that prove they are survivors get one in my garden:You can engrave on both sides, so you can have the rose name on front and the breeder and year on the back if you like.