What a fantastic project for the garden Tanya. Labels are always a pain as they bleach in the sun, and what you originally spent ages marking up the end with no label at all, well no writing anyway. A great way to use free resources in the garden
A total pain -- I also use sharpies on wood and they too fade over the summer. We'll see how the text on these last (and how easy they are to clean) but hopefully this will help me and others.
Great idea! Even if you couldn't erase the writing at the end of the growing season, you could always paint the black chalkboard paint on it and start over. I agree that most labels are too short or are too expensive for the taller ones. Thanks for sharing!
Wonderful! I especially love the rosemary one you've done on a flat stone - I've been wanting to try pebble art for ages & this seems a great way to start. I'd never heard of of "blackboard paint". Oh my, the possibilities! 🎉🤩🎊 Thank you Tanya 🌱
I've seen and love those fancy plant labels too and have been planning to try making my own versions as they are too pricy to buy. Now I'm going to try making some like yours and see how they do. I'll continue using my plastic ones in seed trays or pots indoors but hate the way birds pull them out and wind blows them about the garden not to mention how brittle and prone to breaking they are when exposed to the elements. Eventually I hope to replace all labels but this video is a great encouragement to start off. Thank you Tanya.
This was very interesting and I have passed it on to my gardening group sop we can discuss it in our next Zoom meeting. Looking forward to delving in to a few more of our videos Tanya!
Handy for 1 maybe 2 growing seasons. The untreated wood end in the ground will not last (tried this before). Moisture and microbial activity will eat way and the wood will snap off. I use rocks with colored oil paint pens which last since I tend to plant same crops just in different place.
It depends on your climate, wildlife, and soil. In my British garden, I have used the same wood markers in the allotment for years, and the posts and wood for my beds are over ten years old now. I'm sure you're right that in other climates that wood wouldn't last though. Also, I've seen the painted rocks before but they aren't erasable. Meaning, if you decide to grow different varieties of tomato next year they'll be useless. If a plant marker can't tell you the cultivar/type of veg you're growing they're not helpful -- once a plant gets growing you can obviously tell that it's a cucumber/pumpkin/tomato, but which one?
This is absolutely brilliant! Practical and actually really quite stylish! I think I have the perfect pieces of scrap wood already so I’m going to give this a go!
This is what I've been looking for. Those purchased plant markers are usually plastic and easily broken. With DIY one can make a strong marker of any size out of wood. I just need to find the markers now.
ten stars for this. i have used your idea but using wooden paint stirrers. 10 for $1 at lowes and chalkboard paint. not sure on the durability but super affordable
Great idea! Birds fly off with my smallplant labels, so I need something better. I will try your idea. I've actually got everything I need. Tip: Every building material shops give away this type of scrap wood for free, at least in my area. They would otherwise have to pay to get rid of them.
I love how they look and as someone else suggested would make a great gift. Maybe protecting the other half of stake with a clear sealant would prolong their life. In wet soil the wood will expand and rott. Just my experience.
Hi Tanya. I like your labels very much, especially that they are so big that they dont get lost between the vegetables. Compared to the prize of labels you can buy I would consider the time it took you to create your own labels. If you would calculate 10 bucks the hour for your work your labels will be much more expensive then the ones from the shop. But having said that I nevertheless would always rather build, make or produce things myself because of the fun of doing it and I appreciate selfmade things way more as bought ones. Best wishes, WH
@@Lovelygreens Very true. Thankfully there is no limiting pricetag for the amount of health, joy and groundedness we earn from nature and natures treasures.
You only have to prime black board paint just the once if your rubbing out and re writing. But if you are doing a deep clean you may need to re prime. You prime so that when you have written and wipe off you’re not left with the writing still ghosting.
Hi Tanya, I'm making these at the moment, and my husband is suggesting that I paint the entire thing in the blackboard paint to help stop the wood from rotting in the ground. What do you think?
Can you use a real piece of chalk to write with and still get the water-resist results? I didn't read through all the comments to see if this has been asked yet or not. Thanks for a great idea.
In Florida, it rains all the time! Every marker I've had has rotted before the summer is over. BUT that doesn't matter since the ink, pencil, paint, is GONE long before due to the sunshine. I will try this idea as I've tried others. I have found that pencil works to outlast the sun but no solution for the wood except use a rock! So I will try but also use some flat rocks to see what happens. I always, always say I will remember, even make maps which I loose, but never remember. I don't even remember that I forget until after the seedlings come up. Do you have a solutions for memory problems? LOL This was a very timely and much needed video!
The big markers wont have the same problem that I have with the small white ones. They get tossed over the garden by the birds. Both blackbirds and chickens. I am happy, spring has come.
These wood pieces came from a building site. They were used to separate other building materials! You can use any pieces of wood though and I'm sure that your local timber merchant (lumber yard) will have something if you can't find free wood.
No, not treated in any way, but I expect these to last a good few seasons in my garden. If you live in a place where wood doesn't last long in the soil/outside then use a material that will be more resilient. Pressure-treated wood is an option.
You can use the large paint stirring sticks (US 5 gallon). They are very inexpensive. Have smooth sides already. Kill 2 birds with 1 stone. Old Proverb 😊
I have very big dogs. This wouldn't work unless they agreed to leave them alone. Squirrels wouldn't be able to move them around if the sticks are big enough! They play games with my regular sized labels.
"I didn't know what I'd do w them, initially..." Brilliant and literally true for every random piece of material a gardener finds.
What a fantastic project for the garden Tanya. Labels are always a pain as they bleach in the sun, and what you originally spent ages marking up the end with no label at all, well no writing anyway. A great way to use free resources in the garden
A total pain -- I also use sharpies on wood and they too fade over the summer. We'll see how the text on these last (and how easy they are to clean) but hopefully this will help me and others.
@@Lovelygreens See how they are through summer. if that holds up they will be everywhere next year Tanya :)
Great idea! Even if you couldn't erase the writing at the end of the growing season, you could always paint the black chalkboard paint on it and start over. I agree that most labels are too short or are too expensive for the taller ones. Thanks for sharing!
You're welcome Gina, and I agree. I can't wait to get these out in the garden (with plants growing around them 😍)
They would make a lovely gift for fellow gardeners 😊
Wonderful! I especially love the rosemary one you've done on a flat stone - I've been wanting to try pebble art for ages & this seems a great way to start. I'd never heard of of "blackboard paint". Oh my, the possibilities! 🎉🤩🎊 Thank you Tanya 🌱
I foresee that you're going to have a lot of fun with chalkboard paint! 😊
Someone at my allotment was doing this last year and i was wondering how they did it, now i know. Thanks for the how to.
Ooh, this is interesting news!
I love to garden, my bride loves crafts! Thanks for a project we can do together!
Get her to work! :)
I love this project Tanya, I'll be making some this year for sure. 😀
Thank you Liz 😊💚
I like the stone markers, would be pretty drawing designs on it.
I've seen and love those fancy plant labels too and have been planning to try making my own versions as they are too pricy to buy. Now I'm going to try making some like yours and see how they do. I'll continue using my plastic ones in seed trays or pots indoors but hate the way birds pull them out and wind blows them about the garden not to mention how brittle and prone to breaking they are when exposed to the elements. Eventually I hope to replace all labels but this video is a great encouragement to start off. Thank you Tanya.
I just typed “DIY garden markers” into my search bar before I decided to check your You Tube channel first! How timely :-)
Thanks for this video!! We love reusing what we already have to save money!!
Great idea for economical plant markers, I'll give it a try this spring.
Such a great idea! I will definitely implement this in my garden, thank you for sharing!
This was very interesting and I have passed it on to my gardening group sop we can discuss it in our next Zoom meeting. Looking forward to delving in to a few more of our videos Tanya!
Handy for 1 maybe 2 growing seasons. The untreated wood end in the ground will not last (tried this before). Moisture and microbial activity will eat way and the wood will snap off. I use rocks with colored oil paint pens which last since I tend to plant same crops just in different place.
It depends on your climate, wildlife, and soil. In my British garden, I have used the same wood markers in the allotment for years, and the posts and wood for my beds are over ten years old now. I'm sure you're right that in other climates that wood wouldn't last though. Also, I've seen the painted rocks before but they aren't erasable. Meaning, if you decide to grow different varieties of tomato next year they'll be useless. If a plant marker can't tell you the cultivar/type of veg you're growing they're not helpful -- once a plant gets growing you can obviously tell that it's a cucumber/pumpkin/tomato, but which one?
You could also put a wood preserver on the part of the stake that goes into the ground or the whole stake and put the the chalk paint over it.
This is absolutely brilliant! Practical and actually really quite stylish! I think I have the perfect pieces of scrap wood already so I’m going to give this a go!
Love your idea for garden markers and my husband is now searching for wood. Thank you so much.
perfect! i have loads of seeds and was trying to figure out how to mark them inexpensively.
Fab idea, Tanya. I like the fact that they are big and easy to find. Will definitely give it a go.
Yes! Easy to see and find for sure. How many small plant labels have we lost over the years? 😂
Thank you for the awesome idea. I have some wood stakes going to try it out. Tired of losing labels to the garden.
This is what I've been looking for. Those purchased plant markers are usually plastic and easily broken.
With DIY one can make a strong marker of any size out of wood.
I just need to find the markers now.
I'll bet that you could repurpose wood from a pallet for this too if you have any available?
Love this idea! I think I will try and make these! Thank you for the great idea!
THAT LOOKS GREAT TO MARK THE PLANTS AND LOOKS EASY TO MAKE
Great Idea with a full Explanation ☺️
Excellent idea Tanya to make your own plant labels and ready made ones are expensive to buy. It was good to use reusable materials.
What a lovely idea and very eye catching. Kudos to you, keep up th3 great content.
Thank you!
Very nice idea, usefull even for trees when you got lots of them, to remember the varieties of apples or cherries you have...
Brilliant! Love it, can’t wait to make some
Great idea! Excellent garden craft project! 💚
Saw this mentioned on Liz Zorab's video - lovely idea, thanks for sharing. and subbed
Thanks and welcome :)
Great idea. I will copy this. The black looks so attractive. If the white doesn't come off you can repaint the black anyway
ten stars for this. i have used your idea but using wooden paint stirrers. 10 for $1 at lowes and chalkboard paint. not sure on the durability but super affordable
They are nice looking. The only comment I would make is that to keep that wood lasting longer in the soil maybe find a non-toxic resin
Great idea! Birds fly off with my smallplant labels, so I need something better. I will try your idea. I've actually got everything I need.
Tip: Every building material shops give away this type of scrap wood for free, at least in my area. They would otherwise have to pay to get rid of them.
Wonderful idea!! I will try it ! Thank you
Brilliant! Will have to give it a go!
Good Idea!!!💡
I love how they look and as someone else suggested would make a great gift. Maybe protecting the other half of stake with a clear sealant would prolong their life. In wet soil the wood will expand and rott. Just my experience.
Hi Tanya!🤗 Fantastic video and idea for plant markers! I will have to try this out in my garden this Spring!
Stay blessed and safe! 🦋3/2/2021🦋
I use old, cut up miniblinds. They don't rot like wood, are sturdy and withstand the hot summers.
Going to have to try this. I really hope they can be outside for a good while and clean off easily, the cut up yogurt pots work but aren’t ideal
I love it ! They look awesome .
I like it. Thanks for the cute idea❣️
Hi Tanya. I like your labels very much, especially that they are so big that they dont get lost between the vegetables. Compared to the prize of labels you can buy I would consider the time it took you to create your own labels. If you would calculate 10 bucks the hour for your work your labels will be much more expensive then the ones from the shop. But having said that I nevertheless would always rather build, make or produce things myself because of the fun of doing it and I appreciate selfmade things way more as bought ones. Best wishes, WH
Thank you 🙂 And if we counted wages against all we do in our homes and gardens, we could never afford ourselves! Ha
@@Lovelygreens Very true. Thankfully there is no limiting pricetag for the amount of health, joy and groundedness we earn from nature and natures treasures.
Genius idea tanya well done.
Yay! I have been looking for something like this
Hi Friend! Amazing! Have a great weekend! 👍 14
This is a great idea!
funny i have chalked paint i made a board outside for the kids to play and write on it ,and what a great ideia i wil doit with my kids ,thank you
I cut up yoghurt pots and write on them with a china graph pencil. Works well.
You only have to prime black board paint just the once if your rubbing out and re writing. But if you are doing a deep clean you may need to re prime.
You prime so that when you have written and wipe off you’re not left with the writing still ghosting.
Hi, thanks for sharing the great idea. 🙂
lovely idear tanya
Very good 🙏☺️🌱🌿🌳🌲
Hi Tanya, I'm making these at the moment, and my husband is suggesting that I paint the entire thing in the blackboard paint to help stop the wood from rotting in the ground. What do you think?
Love this diy
Love this idea!
So good, the weeds will be wanting them too. LOL
So good :)
Can you use a real piece of chalk to write with and still get the water-resist results? I didn't read through all the comments to see if this has been asked yet or not. Thanks for a great idea.
In Florida, it rains all the time! Every marker I've had has rotted before the summer is over. BUT that doesn't matter since the ink, pencil, paint, is GONE long before due to the sunshine. I will try this idea as I've tried others. I have found that pencil works to outlast the sun but no solution for the wood except use a rock! So I will try but also use some flat rocks to see what happens. I always, always say I will remember, even make maps which I loose, but never remember. I don't even remember that I forget until after the seedlings come up. Do you have a solutions for memory problems? LOL This was a very timely and much needed video!
Have you done this yet? I’m also in Florida.
Could you provide an Amazon link to the paint and marker you used?
The big markers wont have the same problem that I have with the small white ones. They get tossed over the garden by the birds. Both blackbirds and chickens. I am happy, spring has come.
Wonderful Idea ✅
A bit much for my lazy solutions search. Utmost blessings!
Brilliant! Now. Where to find wood like that :D
These wood pieces came from a building site. They were used to separate other building materials! You can use any pieces of wood though and I'm sure that your local timber merchant (lumber yard) will have something if you can't find free wood.
Curious to how they lasted
😀Now that you have had them for awhile …. How are they holding up ?
Not bad, actually! I still have the perennial leek and Taunton Deane kale labels in the new garden.
V interesting 😊 is the wood initially weather proofed/heat treated or whatever so it doesn’t rot in the soil?
No, not treated in any way, but I expect these to last a good few seasons in my garden. If you live in a place where wood doesn't last long in the soil/outside then use a material that will be more resilient. Pressure-treated wood is an option.
@@Lovelygreens thank you Tanya & good luck with your move 💖
Can I use resin for plant labels?
Can you use a grease marker?
You can use the large paint stirring sticks (US 5 gallon). They are very inexpensive. Have smooth sides already. Kill 2 birds with 1 stone. Old Proverb 😊
Are they doggie proof too because my dogs keeps eating my popsicle sticks?
I have very big dogs. This wouldn't work unless they agreed to leave them alone. Squirrels wouldn't be able to move them around if the sticks are big enough! They play games with my regular sized labels.
When are you moving?
Did you do the update video?
No, why?
From the USA here, what’s an “allotment “?
It's a plot of land that you rent to grow flowers, fruits, and veggies.
a vegetable lot
Thanks for this response! That’s what I need since my space is all shaded! How much do people pay for these?
@@emk7132 you have to check in your county/state/area to see where they are offering allotments or "community gardens".
😻
First!!!! Lucky me!
It's called A stick.