Plant labels for the garden

[ElisabethMoths]

I've just bought some bamboo plant labels to replace the plastic ones that came with the flowers. What do I use to write on them? What is going to last? I have no idea.

I would have thought plastic is better! Never heard of bamboo labels?

"Sharpie" permanent markers are reliable, and in different colours.

Chinograph pencil works well on wood. I find Sharpie writing fades quite fast.

Paint. Or chalk pen. Make sure it dries before you put out in the rain. You can get woodcraft chalk pens which are permanent to the extent you have to scrape the lettering off.

I use chalk pens as too. Dh used to be a bar manager & I've got one that's still going strong 8 years after he left the trade!

Thank you very much. I don't want to use plastic so am grateful for the suggestions having never heard of chinograph or chalk pens.

The bamboo labels are quite durable - they look a more like plastic than wood. I use pencil.
To clean plant labels I use a magic eraser.

I use a sharpie on a plastic knife. Name on the handle, stick the knife end into the soil.

Sorry, didn't see you don't use plastic.

What chalk pens are people using?

I have a bunch of beautiful slate labels for my allotment garden, and have been writing on them with chalk pens. But they wash off in rain/fade super quickly.

If you want them permanent like forever - then I'd use paint. The different chalk pens seem to last differing amount of times. The Woodcraft ones are almost permanent as they are really thick. The uniball ones which you can get in supermarkets will last a season in my opinion, if you let them fully dry before putting outside.