Yes, I agree. You've read that one guy puts tag in plastic bag and buries it close to plant but that would seem to interfere with the planting schema.
Personally, I have my semp bed planted the way I had them in flats a year ago. I had the purple semp flats and the reds and the arachs and the greens. That is how the semp bed is arranged by color sections. The reason for that is that I used to use my semps for projects and choose them by color; so that is how I looked at them and kept them. Of course I had my favorites but never knew their names. It has only been discovering these few forums that ID has been an issue/concern. Early trading has been more of I-will-give-you -some-unknowns-for-some-unknowns-you-give-me. Not as exacting but exciting as far as surprises go...

Greg, I would keep an eye on that unusual semp. It could actually end up being something great. Was it a seedling? Or an offset?

Oops, we cross posted.
Bev those are beautiful.

The plant tags that Chris has for sale would work well underground. Or you can cut window blinds in to tags and use the outdoor labeling tape, which would do well underground.

One time a dog chewed up all of my Echinacea tags. They were scattered all over in little pieces. It can really be awful when something like that happens. I think I will look into the ones Chris sells. I really like that they would be under the plastic!

When I take cuttings from people's gardens and its a Noid, I just name it after the person I got it from.
I have Hydrangea 'Mrs. Johnston' and 'J. VanRossen', Hosta 'Susanlee's grandmother', Sedum 'Susanlee'. Just started doing that. Kind of fun when they come to vist.

Spring, I love that way of naming plants. I have two daylilies I got from my mom years ago. They were her favorites. I will always think of them as Mom's daylilies, even though I do know the names.

I am getting some labels from Chris, although I do like my "plastic spoon and forks holding labels" look its tre chic! (someone said it looks like a mini graveyard!)
Lynn, it is one that I thought was "georgette" and was a seedling, noticed that I have a second one too...The reason I thought is was S. 'Georgette' is because that's what SMG sent me last year when I ordered it, wasn't until being on here that I saw Georgette looks nothing like this, the closest thing I could find is S. 'Rococo' and SMG sells that one too, so it could have been a mislabelled plant - I already liked it because its got long slender leaves, but now that the color change is happening its really cool! I think its gonna go to full orangey red - again like S. 'Rococo'
I am all into the NOIDs until figuring out trading with people, because in the photos things can look so similar especially if you can't tell the size. Bev I had no idea that 2 of the semps you were sending me were going to be so large! What a pleasant surprise! But with NOIDs you could potentially be trading the same semp one for the other, and that would be a waste of postage

I like that way of naming things too!

Greg - I think it's that one too. I was looking at SMG and thought that looks just like Greg's NOID. I put it in the cart and everything!

Glad to get some confirmation! Meanwhile the photo of "georgette" off of SMG wasn't very clear so I thought it could be this type of semp. Now I know its not! Also FYI I will still call this a NOID because I'm guessing, even if I say oh hey that's such n such, I would clarify that I don't really know!

Bev ~ I love the rock in the foreground of your pic! I didn't care that much about names either, until joining this group and now it keeps me awake at night I bought a paint pen and am marking stakes for my new ones...

I think I'm going to try and find some small pieces of slate and write the names on those, it might look a bit less intrusive than plastic tags. Failing that I'll either draw a map or try adding names to a photograph, but don't know if my IT skills are up to that!

Kate, your photograph/IT skills reminded me of the convo I had with my DH last week when he suggested I divide my Noid semp bed into a large grid and take pictures of each section of grid and attach identifying info to each semp in each photo from each grid. Does that sound like an easy task?

Bev, I originally did that when I started collecting semps. But then I started moving one around now, another later, and with me anyway it was too much of a problem to keep track of.

Not a chore I would want!!! And for me I keep making "improvements" to my beds so the semps are being moved out and replanted and never in the same spot! Its much easier for me to use the lovely little forks and spoons! Although I noticed that they ink may be fadding Better check on that, and I'll take photos that show my lovely spoons! (which I could easily plant deeper and they'd be very unobtrusive!)

Try the Industrial Sharpies. They last a long time. Maybe coat them with your friend's clear finger nail polish when she's not looking!

Pencil does not fade like ink. Not sure it would write on plastic cutlery.

poor girl-friend....

So, isn't it strange that we can't leave the poor plants alone even after they've been planted? kind of obsessive behavoior, isn't it? You're right, Chris. I couldn't do the grid thing which is why I may have to think about your plant marker...

Chris, I hope you have plenty markers in stock.