If you prefer to see the plant name all the time instead of pulling it up when you need to check .... just flip the knife end up and stick the handle in the ground. Problem solved!

The darker, brighter the puffy paint you use, the more visible it is! Glow in the dark colors would allow you to see it at night!!!

Think out side of the box to make it your own idea ... or just try mine!

Happy Gardening!

~Becky~

Is the Puffy Paint also available at Walmart? Love your idea.

I only planted my dahlias in early June and the signs are fading so much already. Glad I made a map while I could still read the names!

Arlene - At my local Walmart, they DO indeed carry the single bottles of Puffy Paint in all colors!

This may be my back up if I don't find another set of used Venetian blinds!

Pamkenn - See my post: http://garden.org/thread/view_... I tried using blinds myself, but they didn't last very long for me here in Florida.

I think the total cost to make 48+ knife markers was about $3.50. The knives were about 2.50 a box and 1 small bottle of Puffy Paint was a $1 at Walmart.

Thanks, Becky. I think I'll splurge on three bottles of the paint to distinguish my tall, medium and short dahlias so I can plan in advance (while the snow falls up here).

I've not tried the clear plastic knives, but for a number of years I marked my small plants with white plastic knives. The problem is that in our zone 5a climate, they will break after a couple of winters. Of late, I've been using thrift store stainless steel knives and they work well. Because they reflect their surroundings, they are also nearly invisible.

Sounds like an excellent idea, Ann! Thanks for sharing it!

With eleven different varieties of Iris, I marked them this year. Used chopsticks - put the # on them according to when they bloomed. Still good and not faded.

Wooden chopsticks?

Pamkenn said:This may be my back up if I don't find another set of used Venetian blinds!

Why used blinds? I bought a set of mini blinds for about $4.00 at Walmart and it made about 700 - 6 inch tags. You can get much more economical than that. I usually cut them in half lengthwise which would give about 1400 tags.