I have not had any luck with markers. When we have a flood every so often, I lose them all. The creeping charlie gets around them and when I pull weeds, I pull them up. I trip on them and step on them too. My yard has all kinds of unattractive junk showing up in winter. In summer it is hidden.

I think winter is mostly ugly. This white Christmas song and wish partly comes from the clean white blanket covering all the ugly and shining in the low dim sun.

In the North where the snow stays on all winter, it gets dirty. The new snow is pretty, but here where we aren't set up for snow, it is just a pain in my opinion. It was a little exciting last night; I may have a dim memory of getting out of school and playing in it.

If you think about it, why on earth do we need markers anyway?

By this time, I have had almost everything for many years....if I haven't learned the name by now, I don't need to know it. I have started writing in my journal what I plant where. I put an asterisk by the side of anything I might want to find quickly. If I would just do it on the computer, I could use the 'find' feature.....something to think about.

I wonder if I could do that on my blog? I will have to check that out.

I don't need to spend any more time on the computer....my mouse arm bothers me already.

I spent some time when I was mulching pulling up white markers.

I've never used markers. At one time, I had drawn out a map of my shade garden so I could remember where everything was. I mostly wanted to know the names of hostas and heucheras. After the ice storm when I had to transplant everything in February so we could pull out stumps from fallen trees, I just stuck my plants where ever I could fit them and lost track of names. Most I still know but it's hard to be certain.

I keep the tags that come on the plants when I buy them and try to keep a list from plant trades. At least I can go back through that if I'm trying to remember the name of something.

I have a bunch of mini blind markers out and was thinking I didn't like them either. I had a hard time even getting them in the ground. I used some pl. utensils and they seemed to work pretty good. Think I will keep an eye out for them at garage sales. I still need markers because my beds aren't established yet and there wasn't as much sun and I thought in some places. Don't want to move the wrong things come spring. I keep the tags (tip from mag-punch a hole and keep them on a ring) and try to put on paper also. Then I pretty much rely on memory. I think part of that is perfectionist. Who cares as long as they bloom and are pretty. Kathy

One year I marked where I had planted bulbs with sand...that worked good too but no labels.

I used to buy metal markers that don't look bad, but they got mixed up too. They are what I trip on. It does matter with some plants, but I'm just really bad at it. I used to buy day lilies from an old man who labeled them carefully. I also crossed mine and had them labeled by description for the pretty ones. I have plain melon colored ones and some really pretty ones or ones that bloom more. After summer I don't know which is which if I want to move them. Some deserve good spots some I could toss in the ditch. Some plants disappear like virginia blue bells and bleeding heart so it is good to mark where they are. Last spring I drove stakes in the ground near tomatoes that I thought were big plain markers; the plants soon covered them. I did finally figure them out but with tomatoes you want to know what to grow again. This year I think I will put a label on the tomato cage.

I used my mini blind markers in sowing boxes and containers. I sure agree they're a pain in the garden. Had to learn the hardway! LOL I finally gave up on putting markers around. I like the surprises every year, thinking i forgot i had that plant.
Vickie

I have bought three sets of markers this year, and i like them. perhaps they will help me learn the names of plants. but sometimes the tag disappears or they get stepped on. who knows what will happen in the spring when the heavy rains come.

I was planning to use popsicle sticks with Sharpie marker descriptions. I've never done it in wetter weather though. Any reason you can think of why this might now work?

That would be fine to label your seed flats. I have used wood splints before for temporary markers. Long term something will happen to them and you would need something more substantial.

I lose labels too. I have started numbering my pots. I spray paint the number on a tile or rock and put it in the pot. I try to kept track of them for fine tuning the light. Impatiens in too much sun are about 3" high and too little light they are too long and fall over. Next year I use a plant in the pot that can tolerate more or less light. I keep track of my garden on Outlook. The flowers are contacts, I use the calendar to schedule pruning and fertilizing. I journal and link the contact flower. So now I can search naked lady and find out what time of year the foliage appears. Over the top? The program was on my computer anyway and I very gradually learned how to use it. Not foolproof, the numbers could flake off and the hard drive could died. I live on the edge!

The problem I have trying to mark things is finding a reliably permanent marker. I've tried two or three kinds, including laundry markers which don't wash off but fade in the sun. I have a friend who keeps old spice bottles and baby food jars with lids, and puts her labels in them.

But I have given up on labels as sometimes they just disappear and I find them yards away with teeth marks on them. Now just keep notes in a garden journal and keep the labels that come on plants in the house.

Yards away with teeth marks in them. Ha, I wonder who is doing that.

I collect rocks, I like to place them in the garden with a marker note on the bottom reminding me where it came from and when or who gave it to me. I have had to restart my collection every time we move though, heh heh.
I occurs to me, that a pretty rock could also hold a plant info message on the bottom of it.