Grow Your Own Magazine

Does anyone have a really good pen that they can recommend? I've found that the "permanent ink" ones I've got are fading in the sun! Going to be interesting when I plant stuff....and there was me being really good this year labelling everying correctly!
Bernie aka Dexterdog

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Appreciate the little things in life because one day you will realise they are the big things

Hi DDL... I've found the best thing so far has been a CD Marker Pen, plus as the nib is small, you can squeeze quite a lot of writing on

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Shortie

"There are only two lasting bequests we can hope to give our children; one of these is roots, the other wings" - Hodding Carter

Hi Shortie - what colour was it? Ive been using a red one but I think thats the one that has been fading in the sun!
Bernie aka Dexterdog

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Appreciate the little things in life because one day you will realise they are the big things

Mine's black. Maybe it is the red pigment.... Red does fade fastest

..... I remember when I was little and my Mum used to buyour school shirts in Tescos.. the label name was 'School Days' and the letters were in alternate red and blue. After a few washes the red letters would completely fad away and leave the label saying 'Shody'

That's when I first realised Red doesn't have much staying power

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Shortie

"There are only two lasting bequests we can hope to give our children; one of these is roots, the other wings" - Hodding Carter

Thanks for the tip Shortie - you are obviously much younger than me! Will give a black pen a try! Thanks!
Bernie aka Dextedog

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Appreciate the little things in life because one day you will realise they are the big things

There's another thread somewhere which recommends using china clay pencils (I think), could be worth a search.

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Some of us live in the past, always talking about back then. Some of us live in the future, always planning what we are going to do. And, then there are those, who neither look behind or ahead, but just enjoy the moment of right now.

Which one are you and is it how you want to be?

the pencil marker that stands the test of time is a chinagraph i have a black one at the moment but youcan get blue ones as well the i have at the moment is called royal soveriegn CHINAGRAPH for film plastics china glass etchope this helps

I use an ordinary pencil ( the cheapo ones are the best it seems) or if your feeling posh a 2B - you want a soft lead.

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ntg

Never be afraid to try something new.
Remember that a lone amateur built the Ark.
A large group of professionals built the Titanic

http://grief-encounters.blogspot.com/

china graphs are great, they are a bit like crayon, so you can wipe clean for the following year, but they will stay put even in the dishwasher, (they are made for marking china in the food industry) you "sharpen" them like a charcoal pencil so they last for years, most art suppliers should be able to get them for you. the marks stay put and you can reuse your markers, brilliant

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Yo an' Bob
Walk lightly on the earth
take only what you need
give all you can
and your produce will be bountifull

I to had a problem with label pens, used an ordinary biro which washed clean as I watered my seedling, I have found a CD writing pen which seems to be doing ok at the mo

I've used several different 'permanent' pens over the years; they all fade. I am now using a good old pencil!

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~ What do I think of Western civilisation? I think it would be a very good idea ~ Gandhi

Morning Glory problems again?

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My Majesty made for him a garden anew in order
to present to him vegetables and all beautiful flowers.- Offerings of Thutmose III to Amon-Ra (1500 BCE)

I use a regular HB pencil. Use strange codes for all the buckets and seed trays - S1, S2 etc for spuds, V1 and so for vegetables, C1... for cucumbers, M1 for melons T1... for tomatoes. I write all the codes in a book so I have dates of sowing, appearance etc to refer to next year - also the labels can be re-used next year without alteration. OH laughed last week when I brought out 2 labels from last year - both labelled V8 - we both have Rover SD1 V8 cars!

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Happy Gardening,
Shirley

http://www.honeyjukes.co.uk

If you use the white disposable plastic cups as plantpots you don't need labels! Just write name of plant on side of cup with a felt tip pen!

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My Majesty made for him a garden anew in order
to present to him vegetables and all beautiful flowers.- Offerings of Thutmose III to Amon-Ra (1500 BCE)

That's all very well Snadger but I want to either reuse my pots every year to reduce waste or use biodegradeable paper pots so no good for me!

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Some of us live in the past, always talking about back then. Some of us live in the future, always planning what we are going to do. And, then there are those, who neither look behind or ahead, but just enjoy the moment of right now.

Which one are you and is it how you want to be?

Ive plenty of pencils with both hard and um er, softer lead! will give them a go - thanks for the idea!
Bernie aka Dexterdog

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Appreciate the little things in life because one day you will realise they are the big things

Sorry Alison, but as you will know if you've ever tried it, white plastic drinking cups can't be used a second year because they bio degrade in your hand!!!

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My Majesty made for him a garden anew in order
to present to him vegetables and all beautiful flowers.- Offerings of Thutmose III to Amon-Ra (1500 BCE)

LOL - reminds me of those plastic pint pots they used to make us drink out of as students, always split before you'd managed even half a pint

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Some of us live in the past, always talking about back then. Some of us live in the future, always planning what we are going to do. And, then there are those, who neither look behind or ahead, but just enjoy the moment of right now.

Which one are you and is it how you want to be?

Ive used ordinery pencils for years with no problems and if your really tight like me (Yorkshireman) you can use a rubber to clean off last years info and reuse! A good quality fairly soft (2B) pencile should work fine.

the pen we use is the permint marker from tesco its gray with a black lid carnt rember wat its caled
was also toled to put clear nail varnish over the riting to stop it fading

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Some things in their natural state have the most VIVID colors
Dobby

Thanks for the ideas everyone! Much appreciated.
Bernie aka Dexterdog

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Appreciate the little things in life because one day you will realise they are the big things