How do you mark your lilies?

I have three new beds for 2009 that I am going to be adding lilies in. Since the bulbs will be the first items in the beds, I want to ensure that I don't try to plant a perenial or annual on top of them in another month. I am looking for a quick cheap way to mark my lilies location. At this point, I don't need to ID the lily itself, just the location. I considered putting in a bamboo skewer, but then I thought that I would just throw this question out, and see how others are handling it.

Remember - quick and cheap.

Quick and cheap usually equals temporary. If what you really want is just a way to mark the spot until the entire bed is in, then old vertical blinds and an Industrial Sharpie ought to do it. You can get a year, maybe 2, with this kind of marker.

Most times if I am simply marking where something is, I just stick a stick in. Or sometimes use a big rock/stone.
I use the blinds and Ind. Sharpie aslo. They held up over winter fairly well. Be sure to use the Industrial Sharpie though and not the regular old perm. type...they fade much to quick. Then you'll just end up standing there scartchin your head wondering just what is that, lol.

You might as well get into the habit of marking your beds on a permanent basis right now or you're going to kick yourself later when you become a full blown addict. :) It's just as easy to get some nice markers and run off some labels and mark your beds as it is to stick a rock or shove a stick in the site. Besides then you'll know who you have in that bed. :) It's not that difficult. :)

Ticker is right! I have wanted to kick myself many many times, lol. This year I am planning on getting some of those T markers and getting everything marked...well at least my lilies, hostas, daylilies and iris. Anyone got a good source for these? I will be needing ALOT, so a good cheap source?? Lol!

I use the plastic picnic knives at first until I can get some more metal ones. I think I got 50 last yr and they were $30.00 real expensive. Don't remember the company. BEV

Check out the Co-op forum, someone usually does a co-op on the Eon markers at some point in the spring. I find they are better than the Paw-Paw ones. No sharp corners and they seem to be built a bit heavier. http://www.eonindustries.com/catalog/

Great, will check that out! And keep an eye out for that co-op. Just what I need though...anouther co-op, lol!

I think in the end, using a cheap temporary method has you spending more overall because of how often they are destroyed and either need replacing or are unreadable. The EON markers are excellent and I have been hoping to see a co-op pop up there in the co-op forum. The prices end up being very reasonable and the longevity is definitely worth it.

I don't think that I want to permanently mark the lilies because I may end up moving them. I just want to ensure that I don't accidently plant another on top of them.

If you end up moving them, you just simply left the marker and take them with your plant to the new location.

I think Mags means that you LIFT the marker and take it with the plant. :)

Ooops, Moby is right, I meant *lift*, not left. Thanks Moby.

Hi folks Got a couple of questions

What's a co-op?
What's an eon?
What's a paw paw?

Albertarosey

Eon and Paw Paw are brand names of garden markers. The Co-ops are where we buy stuff as a group and get really good prices on it. See for yourself http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/f/groupbuy/all/

I use the bamboo skewers that come in the packaging from mail order nurseries! When the lilies poke up out of the ground, I pull the skewers.

Did I just hear my name (left)?

$30 for 50 plastic knives! That can't be right. I would think that would be a very inexpensive way to go. . .
And you can write on them too.

This is what I have so far for some of my permanent markers:

Are you guys regularly labeling all of your plants or just your lilies? I don't have a single plant labeled in my yard.

I label all the ones I want to know who they are, such as my lilies, hosta, iris, peonies, daylilies. There are some filler plants that I don't bother with, but for the most part, yes, I label my plants. :)

I too label most everything. Sometimes labels get lost and I have a head scratcher....thats why I am wanting some nice metal ones. :)

Leftwood, I think Dragonfly was talking about the metal markers being 50 for $30. At least I hope so, lol!! Would be awfully expensive plastic ware, lol!

Gosh, I should have figure that out Jan.

I am a collector of all kinds, and everything has a label . . . somewhere. Usually it is a cut blind nearly buried behind the plant.

Whenever I take anyone around to see my gardens, I always take a pretty complete list of all my plants with me. Seldom do I actually have to go looking for the label.

Ah, Lefty, maps and lists, well that would require one to be organized on a much deeper level that I can fathom. :) I really am doing good to get the plant labeled in the first place. :) LOL

I have started making list on the computer. I have a list of my daylilies and hostas at this point. With them being on the computer I can't misplace them! I think a map is great idea, but only problem is I am not an organized person so I would take all that time to make one and misplace it, lol!

I used cut blinds last year and had a ton left over....but I can't figure out just were I put them!!! LOL! They do work pretty well though.

I also use the Industrial Sharpie markers. I was skeptical at first because of how well the regular Sharpies hold up, but these have not faded since last summer so I'd say they work quite well. I found mine at Lowes.

Oh and just one more thing..yesterday I bought a box of 300 jumbo craft sticks at Wal-Mart for $3.48.

The wooden sticks will work too ~ for a couple years. They will eventually rot off at the ground. If using an Ind. Sharpie, dampen the wood before writing on them and you'll have less ink bleed.

I quit with the mapping. For me it takes way too much time, as I have tons of little stuff. And since I am an experimenter/collector at heart, if I have more than one of something, they are usually put in different gardens or parts of a garden. So in my master list, each plant is tagged as to which garden(s) it is in. And if you use an excel spread sheet (or the like), you can easily produce individual lists for each garden.

Off topic now, but I just have to show somebody my newest flower just opening. To be honest, the color is not not quite that blue, but certainly the bluest imp I have ever seen! When it completely opens (at least I think it is still opening), I'll post a better pic - somewhere. But for now, you are the first to see!

Impatiens namchaberwensis:

Very nice blue there Lefty!

I bought a box of flags and use those for temp. markers. then use the eons when all the plants are in and the bed is complete. The flags as well as the eon markers can get misplaced by dogs trampling over them, buried by mulch, etc. but my backup is a journal so it's not too hard to relabel if marker gets lost.

when I'm growing from cuttings, I use cut up plastic vertical blinds. very cheap. I got one at a thrift store and cost me a $1, yielding hundreds of labels.

Fully opened Imp here:
http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/970518/

Gorgeous!

Very striking! What a blue...almost an electric blue!

Another way to keep track of where the lilies were planted......is to leave a portion of the stalk sticking out of the ground when you cut them down after they have bloomed and the foliage has faded. It serves as its own marker for the location of the bulb. However, it won't tell you much about WHICH lily it is! Just a reminder of where not to dig.

MPF, that can be very useful if the marker has been lost over time. :) Good idea. :)

I am currently thinking I would like to have a little dog collar for each lily.....like an ID band that could be placed around the lower portion of the stalk and then I'd know who was what! I wonder if hospital ID bracelets would look too bad.....LOL.....or dog tags! I'll think of something!

I think the EON markers would work better for you in the long run, but little tags could be buried with the bulb and then you'd know who it was when you dug and divided it. :)

I always bury a label right by the bulb and then another sticking out of the ground, usually made with venetian blinds and a sharpie. The tags sticking out of the ground have the name & date on both ends so even if the above ground writing fades, the other end will still be readable..

Do the same with iris and hostas too.

Went to dig some lilies yesterday for Grade 4 to grow for Mother's Day prezzies. Some bulbs were still frozen in the grund. Had to go get some water to thaw the ground so I could get the bulbs out of the ground.
inanda

oh my goodness. zone 2b that must be the pits. takes a special kind of tough person to handle that zone. my hat's off to you.

I'll second that!

Hi all~
Did everyone see the EON marker co-op is going on now??(Link at bottom of post) I have been bitten by the lily bug in a big way this year and was looking for more of the markers and the paint pens I bought a couple years back in a co-op, and thought I would drop a line here in case anyone else was interested. These are really, really good for labeling and last a LONG time! I write on both sides of mine @ planting time with the pens they sell, and even if the front fades a bit, the more protected back is always readable. Some have been in my garden for almost 5 yrs and very rarely are unable to be read! you can also buy just the replacement plates too for when you get em all labeled and don't need a whole new marker, just need to re-write or change the name. Worth every penny to me! :-)

If you all already knew about the co-op, sorry for the duplicate info! I was just so excited that this co-op was going on again and wanted to share when I saw this thread! :-)

http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/970726/


This message was edited Apr 23, 2009 12:32 AM

Pennefeather,
What is the name of the iris you have at the beginning of this thread. I have been looking for one just this color.Is it a dwarf?
Next, where did you get it, or was it from seed ?
Thanks-Lynda

Sorry Penne,
I didn't mean to say iris,I meant Lily.
Lynda