At this point in the season, with all the planting done and warm weather we’ve been having, my garden is getting pretty wild and woolly. While I’ve been able to start harvesting strawberries, herbs and greens for a few weeks now, I know my cottage garden like the back of my hand and can easily get in, dig up some dinner, and get out. My girlfriend, though, can be a little more clueless.
Recently, while making dinner, I asked her to grab a few sprigs of santolina, a new herb I’ve just started this season related to daisy, for a salad. She went out to the garden armed with a pair of scissors, and intrepidly returned with a branch from my olive tree.
After fixing Ms. Scissorhands’s damage, I realized it was time to make some label markers and set them in my garden.
This can be a good idea at any point in the season, but probably best just as you’re beginning to plant, to keep your rows organized and to make sure you don’t confuse those delicious new mustard greens for some gnarly new kind of weed. I like to use different color coded tags for each type of produce (greens are green!) and definitely need to use a water resistant label to make sure my markers stay as fresh as my garden all season. You can stick the labels on anything you want, but I like to use whatever I have on hand to add a quirky look to my garden–think card stock, craft sticks, thrift store forks, anything ya’ got.
When it comes time to harvest, you can bundle your crops with the label and know exactly what you have in your pantry or fridge before it hits your belly–but unlike the fruits of your labor, the label will last until next season when you can start all over again.
Helpful Links
- Small Rectangular Labels • I chose the “Spring” style in Grapefruit and Mint
More Garden/Craft Ideas…
Shop Our Food/Craft Collection:
• Food/craft labels
• Food/craft tags
• Canning Labels
Robert Randall lives in beautiful Portland, Oregon. He is a formally trained artist and musician and teaches animation to middle school students in the Portland area. When he’s not creating art or music, Robert can usually be found in his garden and kitchen, cooking up something homegrown and delicious.
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