Garden Tags

Here in Michigan the world is just beginning to warm up. We have a few lingering mountains of shrinking snow, but for the most part the grass is greening and the trees are budding. That means it's time to think about gardening.

Add an eyelet after cutting the tags from the page. 

I love gardens of all kinds, but I've never been able to cultivate the field of my dreams. You know, the kind you see in magazines where the carrots are in perfect rows and everything is arranged inside cleverly designed contraptions of logs and stones. My gardens are messy and full of weeds. I'm not the best with chicken wire and plastic or landscaping fabric, so I fail to keep out the birds, squirrels, and raccoons who like to nibble on seeds. Allergies kick in and I start sneezing when I try to nurture the plants that do grow. Then it gets hot and I just give up on it all, happy to pull the occasional persistent cucumber or green tomato from the vines and leaves.

There are twelve tags on the page. 

A few years ago, I designed these garden tags while sitting in my nice, cool, allergy-free office. They were produced in Adobe Illustrator and saved as a PDF file. I printed my most recent copy on a photo printer (using photo paper) and then spray-mounted the paper to cardstock to create a little bulk. You could also laminate them. I cut mine out with scissors -- it does take a while, so do it while watching TV. The scalloped edges are a little difficult at first, but you get the hang of it after a while. I used a tiny punch to make the hole in the top. You can use these tags inside or outside, but they will last longer inside.

May your garden grow. 

I also used the Darice Eyelet Setter to insert an eyelet into the hole. It's really easy to do and it will help the tag endure. Use waxed string to tie the tag to a dowel or a chopstick.

Click here to download the tags.