Paul wrote, >Here in UK I use plastic labels which are painted black on both sides. You >scratch through the paint to show the white plastic. I have been using them >for well over ten years and they are still legible, and because they are >black they do not get pulled out by birds and they do not look like rows of >tomb stones in the garden. The plastic bends if you tread on it and I have >accidentally composted some for three or more years and they were still OK. > A friend of mine here makes similar labels by spraying matte black paint on white labels and then scratching the text. You can find good kinds of stylus for this work at art supply stores. The problem of being pulled out by birds can be significant. I had a flock of crows get interested in one of my bulb frames once (it was uncovered) and they pulled out and scattered both plastic and metal labels. I don't think they actually flew off with any but it took a couple of years to get everything straightened out. Jane McGary Northwestern Oregon, USA