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tendinghisgarden

Plant Markers

tendinghisgarden
12 years ago

Hi, I just discovered how my grandma used to mark her plants. She would write all the information on a slip of paper, insert it into a plastic pill bottle and bury it in the soil close to the plant. I know this isn't very "artsy" but it sure would be a practical way of keeping information like plant variety and year planted handy. I just thought I would share since I haven't read this idea before. Thanks

Comments (9)

  • jeannespines
    12 years ago

    Your g'ma must have had a wonderful memory bank! Wow, I would have to dig them up constantly! LOL! What a good idea she had...great record keeping, too! How did you discover her idea? Digging??? TFS! Jeanne S.

  • Marlene Kindred
    12 years ago

    Well, I've never heard that idea before either. Sounds like it could be a good way to help us remember for sure. Thanks for sharing it with us!

  • marylee_2010
    12 years ago

    This is also a good use for those pesky pill bottles. Good recycling.
    Marylee

  • concretenprimroses
    12 years ago

    Kind of like a time capsule treasure in a way.
    Kathy

  • sunnyca_gw
    12 years ago

    Sounds like a winner! I write things in a loose leaf book but keep misplacing it so some things don't get written in it. Jan

  • tendinghisgarden
    Original Author
    12 years ago

    Actually it was my mom that told me about this tip. A gal in our town wants the master gardeners to dig up her flower beds as her husband is disabled and she can't care for him and the flowers. So they went out to mark the iris while in bloom with pill bottles by each color. Late summer they will dig all her flowers, divide if needed and have a plant sale with the proceeds going to the local food bank. So it is indeed buried treasure, Thanks for your kind comments-the people on this web site are the greatest. Vicki

  • organizedsarah
    12 years ago

    I love the idea! My grandkids enjoy getting their hands dirty with me, and I like to tell them the names of the various plants in hopes they'll use the info throughout their lives. What fun for them to make "time capsules" like that they could write themselves, bury and then a few years later while weeding, they could dig the old capsules up and see what they wrote when originally planted, add new information they've learned since the original planting, etc. They'd enjoy seeing how their info grows over time, how they recorded things when they were younger, watching their record-keeping grow up with them! What a super idea!!! Thanks for sharing!

  • concretenprimroses
    12 years ago

    I wonder if you could write the name on the bottom and bury it with the bottom showing. Or stick something to the top or bottom with just the name showing - a small rock even.
    Kathy

  • luna_llena_feliz
    12 years ago

    I'm sure people will come up with ways to turn the pill bottles into a work of art. lol! Like use them as the stem of a mushroom or turn it into a fairy stool. Great idea for keeping track of plants and flowers as well as using up pill bottles.

    tendinghisgarden, I'm so sorry to hear about the lady in your town who can't tend her garden any more. I imagine that must have really hurt for her to give it up. It's too bad that people couldn't have volunteered to take care of it for her.

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