How to Make Zero-Waste Garden Markers With Sticks

When it comes to gardening, one of the most useful tips involves labeling everything you plant. It doesn't matter whether you think you'll remember what you planted where, or if you know you only have one type of plant growing in a certain section of your garden — keeping track of your plants can have so many benefits, including allowing you to better meet their needs, something that can change from plant to plant.

Of course, many home gardeners are growing their own plants because they want to live life more sustainably, which may mean repurposing some stuff from your home instead of running to the store. So, how does one create zero-waste plant labels? With this clever DIY garden markers tutorial, of course! All you need are sticks, a handful of supplies, and a little bit of creativity. Take a peek at how this woman put hers together and then get some inspo for your own garden marker ideas.

When it comes to ideas that are both quick and easy, this stick concept from the blog Mud & Bloom, aka MudNBloom on Instagram, is a great one. All you'll need is some sticks from your yard, a sharp knife to cut a section of bark off, and a marker to write the name of your plant on the exposed part of the stick. You can follow the process she outlines in her video, which includes sharpening the part of the stick that you're going to insert into the dirt to make it easier to place your plant marker in the soil.

Mud & Bloom uses these plant markers in both her potted herbs and along with her perennials so she doesn't accidentally plant something else in the same spot (see, I told you it's important to mark all of your plants)! If you want to ensure that these plant labels don't fade over time, consider adding a layer of sealant (like Mod Podge) to the part where you've written the plant's name to protect it from the elements.

Skip the supply run and source some ideas from the world around you for these other low-waste garden marker ideas that will keep your garden sustainable!

First up is this wine cork option. All you need to do is save some corks from your favorite vino, and grab a few sticks (you'll want smaller ones for this method — wooden chopsticks can work too). Sharpen both ends of each stick, and then insert one into the cork where you can use a permanent marker to identify your plant. Visit the My Sweet Home blog for more information on this project.

No wine corks? That's no problem with this more colorful approach to making plant markers, which involves harvesting some of the blooms you're going to be marking. All you need to do is gather a few leaves or pedals, find a rock big enough to display them, and use some Mod Podge to attach and seal a cutting of the flower to the rock. You can let the plants do the talking for you, or use a Sharpie to write their names as well. The Discovering Anew blog has more info on how to put these together.

You could also just paint rocks with the plants you're growing as seen in the example below.

Lastly, you can upcycle some old silverware into these plant markers from the Practically Functional blog. You'll just need a hammer to flatten the spoon and something to write with (like a Sharpie). These are great because they hold up better to being outside year-round, and you can add a coat of sealant over your writing so that you don't need to touch it up quite as often!

As you can see, there are plenty of great ways to keep your plants labeled using things around your home — or your yard — which will make it so much easier to keep track of your plants during the growing season. So what are you waiting for? Pick your favorite method and head out into the garden today!