Matt asked where to get plant labels on the hummingbird forum so I thought I would post here what I use instead of purchasing the plant labels.

I use the slats cut from old vinyl mini blinds. Just cut each slat to the length you want and use a sharpie to write the name of the plant and poke it in the soil. One old mini blind will provide material for hundreds of labels. Even if you don't have mini blinds that need to be replaced you can purchase a cheapo one for under $5.00 or check out yard sales where you may be able to get them for next to nothing.

Penny
Niagara Falls, NY
USDA zone 6a/6b
Heat zone 4
Sunset zone 39

Great tip Penny. I had a ton of them from the blinds that DH had to take off to make them fit our windows. Well wouldn't you know, they where in the garage and we decided to toss them out. . It's only after you throw something away that you find a use for it

birdlegs
zone 5
S.E. Lower MI.

I probably should have posted this ages ago but it never dawned on me that everyone didn't know about this until I saw Matt's post

Penny
Niagara Falls, NY
USDA zone 6a/6b
Heat zone 4
Sunset zone 39

you mean those %$#@%*&( blinds i have been trying to clean for the past few days???

Funny you, Penny..
saying :"I thought EVERYBODY knew about this"!!

ok..

remember that you are the recycle queen.. we are just little learners !!


cheerio
alice



...


USDA zone 6a/6b
Heat zone 4
Sunset zone 39

Alice,
I haven't even started cleaning my blinds yet and they really do need it as do the windows. I have been up to my eyeballs this week trying to get seedlings separated and potted up individually so that I can get them all outside and then I am not climbing over this stuff to clean.

I really did think that everyone knew about using old blinds for plant labels....boy have I been making a lot of them this year.
Penny
Niagara Falls, NY
USDA zone 6a/6b
Heat zone 4
Sunset zone 39

Ladies, I told you the easy way to clean those blindshttp://www.network54.com/Forum/587210/thread/1237986695/last-1238789849/Spring+cleaning

Now that hummer season is here it is most likely to late

Another way to do it is take them down and use them for plant labels. , and buy some curtains, or shades, disposable if they make them

birdlegs
zone 5
S.E. Lower MI.

\

Yep..Sandy.. That is the way i have ALWAYS cleaned the blame things..

get em where they hang..


the only problem is.. well,i hit em hard with windex, and now handy microfiber cloths to catch the drips.
( the drips do not cooperate and go onto the window, they just stay on the blinds which seem to develop this film of something sticky and dirty.
(probably old dead skin cells or something ,,he he yech )
which is impervious to at least the first three rounds of windex.

oh well.

i finished the task today..

if i had been a little later when i did it,i might have looked out those same windows and seen my first little hummie ( which i actually did, when i had finished cleaning.)

made the whole thing worth it.(in other words , i forgot about the stupid blinds and focused on teh more important things..

ohhhhhh..there is a little male on my feeder just a few feet from the feeder now.. as i type..

i do not have my camera anymore or i would send a shot.

cheerio
alice

...


USDA zone 6a/6b
Heat zone 4
Sunset zone 39

The easiest thing is to replace those blinds each spring and then you have oodles of material to make plant lables.

I might just clean my blinds and windows today. it is cloudy and cold so I won't be doing anything outside and there are no hummers to watch anyway.

Penny
Niagara Falls, NY
USDA zone 6a/6b
Heat zone 4
Sunset zone 39