Hi all, I've been using plastic Dymo tape labels for many years. I stick them on the zinc markers that have wire legs through holes in the zinc piece. The tape fades in the sun, and eventually gets so brittle it flakes off, but not for many years. The embossed label remains readable until the plastic disintegrates. Usually, the metal marker has been eaten by a rototiller before that happens. Bill is right, it takes more time to make the individual labels by hand; but anyone in the garden here can do it (except my wife, for some strange reason). I'm the only one who can operate the computer system. Most of the labels are actually made by high school kids working part time for us in the garden in summer. We don't make whole sheetfuls of labels at any one time in any case. Since you can't put a sheet of self-stick labels through a laser printer more than once (according to the box), we have not been able to figure out a way to make use of computer printed labels. We can carry the plastic Dymo machine (ca. $20-30) around with us in the garden, too. The white plastic pot labels come in two varieties: polystyrene-like rigid plastic; and vinyl-like flexible plastic. The vinyl labels hold up much better in the sun. We use them outdoors in the ground as quick markers for daylily seedlings, as soon as a seedling gets a number. We use them in all the potted plants, with all the extra bits of data that Jane mentioned. I usually put one of the zinc markers with Dymo plastic label on it in each of the large pots, 3-gallon and larger, just for the sake of readability. I quit using the zinc markers that wrap around the wire legs a few years ago. They truly are a nuisance, and the wear and tear of an outdoor garden tends to separate the zinc piece from the wire legs. The ones I use now come from A.M. Leonard, and the zinc plate has rounded corners and also has holes on the top and bottom edges through which the U-shaped wire legs go. Much more permanent structure. Leonard gives a pretty good price break on large quantities. Jim Shields At 12:59 PM 2/11/03 -0600, you wrote: >Folks: > >I cannot attest to the value of the following, yet, as I won't be actually >using them until this spring... > >I bought a DYMO "Letra Tag" at Wal-Mart for $20-30, and it prints out the >label (including double row if you like) after typing in the name. The >thing I am hopeful about concerning permanency is based on the fact that >you can buy metallic labels for it. These are claimed to be weatherproof. >The tape is 1/2" wide. I will be sticking them on cap style metal garden >markers. > >-- >Mr. Kelly M. Irvin >The Bulbmeister >4407 Town Vu Road >Bentonville, AR 72712 >479-685-1339 ************************************************* Jim Shields USDA Zone 5 Shields Gardens, Ltd. P.O. Box 92 WWW: http://www.shieldsgardens.com/ Westfield, Indiana 46074, USA Tel. +1-317-896-3925 Member of INTERNATIONAL CLIVIA CO-OP