Anti-clutter, organization, lists, and labels....just a few of my favorite things. I always love to hear the gasp of first-time visitors to my garden, "Your plants have NAME TAGS? OMG!!! I didn't know plants actually had NAMES." Or, "I thought they were all just daylilies!"

Well, YEAH, daylilies have names!  Name tags make it very easy for me to give a quick answer to a friend who loves a certain daylily and asks what it is. And know exactly what is planted in what place even though it's not blooming at the time. When you have as many plants as I do name tags are a good thing. They also come in handy when I'm deciding what to move around in the fall.

I've tried a number of different labels/tags over the years. What works really well for me are the metal name tags I have purchased from EON Industries. I bought the 6" tall labels. (Pictured above) I punch the names out on an old-school Dymo tape-maker and stick the labels onto the metal tag. I purchase the Dymo labels from local discount stores. I've had some tags last up to 10 years. Like most everything, they will deteriorate over time with our harsh winters. To preserve them over the winter, every fall I push the stakes down into the dirt and cover them with mulch. My biggest problem is deer stomping and crushing my labels. Liquid Fence keeps the deer away during the summer, but when there's snow cover they just walk right over my plants (AND name tags).

EON Industries  - Take a look at what they offer.

Every fall I update my plant labels. I make sure all the names are readable and I replace the metal plant stakes that have deteriorated or been crushed -  good TV task.

FYI - Make sure your labels are clearly marked for use in the garden or outside. One October, a friend labeled her entire garden with a new battery-operated, hand-held label maker. She is not an innate organizer, so this was a grueling task for her. All good intentions aside, the following spring she found a garden full of white, blank labels. The winter had washed ALL her names off. *Not happy* is an understatement! Her garden remains, to this day, unlabeled. 

Temporary Labels (e.g., plant sale, divisions for friends)
Aside from my permanent labels, I also utilize temporary labels. When I have my plant sale I like to have each plant labeled so that buyers can look at a big photo board to see what each one of my plants look like. For this purpose I use mini-blinds purchased at garage sales, either super-cheap or even free. Ange cuts them up into various sizes with a point on the bottom to slide into the dirt easily. (Another good TV  job.) When I write the info on the labels I use a waterproof laundry marker. These labels are usually good for about one season. The mini-blinds deteriorate rather fast, but they serve the purpose I need them for. I also use them when I purchase plants and have them in temporary pots and don't want to forget who's who. Very cost-effective :)