Free Garden Signs

Mini-blinds set atop garbage cans are a common sight......for years I've hit the brakes and grabbed white ones as just one mini-blind can easily yield 100 garden signs. Just snip the strings near the top as that lets you pull out individual blinds easily. Cut them into the lengths you want, write the plant or crop name on it using a No. 2 pencil and presto, you have a free garden sign that can last a year or more in the garden. Long ones let you record additional data, like date of planting, parentages and pollination dates if you are a rose or plant breeder as I am, age of seeds, varietal name, etc. Many gardeners have been burned by pricey plant signs that promise to never fade, get brittle, etc, so making ones own from discarded mini-blinds and cheap pencils (I get TONS of No. 2 pencils when dumpster diving at condos and department stores) lets you save money and finally be able to keep a clear record of how various plants perform for you.