Permanent Markers

I'm putting more perrenials in my garden but after winter when I start to inspect my 'plot' I find labels with faded marks and no Idea what the narby plant is. I've tried a number of different 'permanent markers' to no avail, can you help?  Sueing the makers of the product under the Trades Description Act will not help my situation!

I know exactly what you mean and have reverted to good old pencil which lasts for years.  A softer pencil lead is best to write on plastic labels - look for 2B (standard pencils are HB.)

I had a similar problem so I now have a notebook and I can at least try to match up the name with the plant

I also use a pencil now, I prefer a 4B

For the gadget-minded you can use a label-maker, and simply stick the plastic label onto a plant label.. I've been using these for about 18 months, and they seem to be weather resistant....

 OK, if you only want to produce a relatively small number of labels.

I too use a label-maker; Dymo.  But I do much smaller letters.  Uses far less tape.  Letters come out smaller if you do the printing on two lines.  This is a thrifty tip!

Never tried a label maker, keep asking Fr Christmas but so far I have obvioulsy not been good enough.  In the meantime, I agree very much with earlier posters, you cannot beat a good soft pencil on either wooden or plastic labels.   However, theat does not help when the blackbirds insist on removing labels and dropping them wherever they think they will!!

I find the best thing to do is to type/or write all the labels I need, laminate them and then cut them to size. A laminater costs much the same as a label marker/Dymo and can be used for lots of other things - documents you wish to safe, recipe cards etc. etc.

15cm pastic label and pencil, nothing else has lasted as long. Wooden labels are pointless. 

I normally duplicate the name on both sides of the label, one side will always weather better than the other.

Sudsy, doesn't water go between the layers of plastic and the label when you laminate & cut - or am I missing something here? (Quite probably!) 

I always use a pencil, and for names on labels I want to keep I paint over the name of the plant with clear nail varnish, works a treat.

Another label maker fan here. But, as already said, not blackbird-proof.

Perhaps the blackbirds are trying to redesign our gardens for us?

That "cluck cluck" they do might not be warning of a predator, but really mean: "tut tut, you shouldn't have planted that there.."

I use black 24cm Flat T labels (code LTSL250BL) and Artline 440F PaintMarker pens in 0.8mm and 1.2mm from www.labelsnthings.co.uk

Weatherproof and absolutely brilliant. I have labelled up all of my 80 rose varieties with their names, HT or floribunda, hybridisers, and year produced, as well writing them in my gardening diary.

In my opinion these are the best labels short of getting those professional looking engraved ones made.

Bookertoo, if, when cutting, you leave a small margin of laminate, it works well. Donutsmrs has perhaps an even better suggestion and much cheaper. Good old nail varnish!! Thanks to Paul N for the website.

I use a fine Stabilo permanent marker on plastic labels. Had it a couple of years now,

it rubs off with oven cleaner and a little elbow grease.