Give Your Garden Beds A Rustic Look With A Labeling Upgrade From Amazon
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Whether you're growing flowers, vegetables, or perennials, you may want to label the different species so that you know what you planted. This is particularly prudent if you're growing different varieties of one species. This means that during the growing season, you can work out which ones were the most successful, and based on your findings, decide on which ones you want to grow again next season. Plant labels are also perfect for marking the spots where you scattered seeds or planted bulbs, but those plastic plant labels aren't all that attractive or environmentally friendly. While you can make creative garden labels using common household items, if you head over to Amazon, you'll find these Bamboo Plant Labels from Kinglake Garden at an affordable price. What's more, you get 60 tags and a marker in the pack.
Not only are these labels quite cute, but they can give your garden beds that rustic look as they blend in with the plants and whatever mulch you're using. You can even choose from three different shapes: an ornamented polygon, a set of leaves, and a simple T design. Each label is just under 4 inches in length, and the writing surface is about 2 ½ inches in width. This makes them relatively small, not all that obtrusive, and the perfect size to be used in pots. As they're double-sided, you can write the name of the plant on the front and the date you planted it on the back. Of course, being bamboo, a renewable, natural resource, these labels will eventually break down and are compostable, which is why you might also want to repurpose wooden spoons and old bamboo toothbrushes in the garden as well.
Should you choose biodegradability or longevity?
Thanks to their natural construction, you will find that these labels will eventually degrade, and some customers have stated that they only last for around one season. That's perfectly acceptable if you're using them to label annuals, such as vegetables or flowers. You do get 60 in the pack, so you should have enough to last a few years. Plus, if the labels from this season have attracted some mold and aren't looking all that great, you can easily throw them in the compost, although it's debatable whether the Sharpie ink will be harmful to your compost or not. For a safer alternative, you might want to consider writing on the labels with a soft 3b pencil. This is widely used in the horticultural industry, as it's carbon-based and will last for quite a while.
On the other hand, if you want to keep the different varieties of perennials you've planted in your garden organized, you may not want to have to replace the tags every year. In this instance, you can simply spray them with something like Mod Podge Acrylic Sealer, which will preserve the bamboo and stop it from deteriorating. Of course, treated bamboo tags should not be thrown in the compost and will need to be tossed in the garbage once they've outlived their purpose. However, you should find that they will last out in the elements for many years, but you will need to use a Sharpie to write over the sealer. Essentially, it's up to you whether you don't mind replacing your labels and embracing their biodegradability, or whether you prefer them to last for a few years in your garden.