Texas Living

4 Cute Plant-Marker Ideas

By Peter Simek 3.11.20

Avid gardeners know the feeling well. You fill up a cart at the nursery early in the season, find seeds for a new vegetable or herb varietal you are excited to experiment with, plant the seeds in the ground, and weeks later, when the little sprouts shoot up, you cannot for the life of you remember what you planted. Was it peppermint or spearmint; Swiss chard or Russian red chard; purple kale or green dragon?

All gardens need some signposts to help identify the beautiful and delicious plants you nurture into production. But this season, throw out those flimsy paper markers that come with your transplants. You grow your garden with love, and you can make labels for your plants with equal love! Here are four cute DIY plant-marker ideas to brighten up your garden.

Garden Gnomes

It doesn’t get any more classic than a garden gnome. With this simple project, you can create a fun variation on the kitschy garden gnome by making miniatures out of sticks to label your plants.

All you need is a handful of sticks, a knife, and some paint. Your sticks can vary in size but should be around a half-inch in diameter and a good few inches long. You’ll shave off some bark from the middle of the stick to write the name of your plant in permanent marker, then turn it into a gnome by shaving an oval off the top of the stick (and painting it white for the gnome’s beard) and shaping the tip of your twig into a triangular point (and painting it red or any other color for the hat).

Then simply stick your little plant guardians in the garden and enjoy! Get the full tutorial here.

Photo by Imani Chet Lytle

River Rocks

The next time you are on a hike or a stroll near a river, gather some smooth, round river rocks. Write the name of a plant with a little white paint to turn them into tasteful plant markers that blend right in with the garden.

Photo by Imani Chet Lytle

Paint Stirrers

There always seems to be extra wooden paint stirrers lying around the garage from the last time you were inspired to change the color of the kitchen. Decorate those extra stirrers with some colorful paint, slap on the name of a plant, and you have a uniform array of sturdy plant markers.

Photo by Imani Chet Lytle

Wooden Spoons

For the artistically inclined, there’s no need to label your plants with only words. An upturned wooden spoon offers not only a place to write the name of your plantings but also an oval canvas to decorate with an image of the flower or plant, brightening up your garden.

Check out these eight homemade gardening hacks to ensure everything comes up roses.

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