How to Make Custom Garden Seed Markers Easy

INTRODUCTION

Probably the quickest Garden Seed Marker of all is to pound a stick in the ground next to your seeds, slip the seed package over the stick right side up, (unless you already ripped the top side off the seed package when you opened it - in which case all bets are off ); then drop a fruit jar over it. It works!




a little class in our gardens, even if it's just nice Seed Markers. I checked in the garden catalogs and at the plant nurseries and I just couldn't find markers that I wanted to use. I finally designed my own.

Things You Need

All you need is some common pine - Cut your own- 0r "1 x 2" wood strips from any builders supply (Lowes, Home Depot, Sutherland, etc) for stakes.

Small nails ( "3- penny" finish nails are nice) about an inch long.

And a saw. The type of saw is optional. You Could use a simple handsaw. A coping saw, an electric saber saw, or if your a real woodworker, a table saw. Use what you have or what you can afford. If this was rocket science I wouldn't be doing this.

A hammer thats easy for you to handle. Even a small tack hammer would work.

White enamel paint. Regular spray can paint from the discount store will work.

Lets Get Started!

Rip Marker Stakes


Rip Marker Stakes out of 1" (actually 3/4 inch - Don't ask) thick lumber or just cut 12 inch lengths of "1 x 2" lumber and avoid the "ripping" step. In any case you need some skinny little boards about 1-1/2 inch wide, cut into 12 inches long stake pieces.











Make a Point on Bottom of Stake

Miter (cut at an angle) one end of each stake. This end will now go easily into the ground.

If your a Boy Scout, you could shape the points with an ax. Do they still do that? I sure hope so.
















Make the Plaque Pieces.

You can "resaw" 2 X 4 studding into 1/2 inch lumber like I did (not recommended for amatures), Cut out 3" X 4" pieces from 1/2 inch plywood; or just buy 1 X 4lumber from your Builders Supply Store and cut into 4 inch lengths

giving you quick little Plaques that are 3/4 thick instead of 1/2" You could then cut the corners off at a 45 degree angle just for good looks. Or not.




Here is Your Parts

The glass of iced tea is optional.




















ATTACH THE PLAQUE
Here you will notice that the plaque is set about 1/4 inch down from the top of the stake instead of flush with it. This is so when you tap it in, you won't hit the plaque. Just center the plaque over the stake and nail it down as shown with 2 nails.



If your Really serious about these markers, you could slip a little waterproof glue on the stake before nailing it.

Your Assemble Marker Looks Like This

Not Bad. You might even be able to take these to the local Farmers Market. Be My guest. But were not quite done.











PAINT YOUR GARDEN MARKER
I like to use a White Enamel. Regular spray paint is fine. You might want to experiment with other colors but I find White easy to use with a permanent marker. If you are a little bit of an artist, you could put some nifty border designs or even "Plant Characters".







You Could Write Directly on the Plaque
I used a large Permanent Marker here. However,

you could do it a differant way. See below.

















Use a Replaceable Card
Print your information on a plain 3 X 6
notecard. Thumbtack it to the plaque.












Protection From Wind and Rain


Slip a sturdy zip-lock sandwich bag over the


Plaque and tack it down too. Walla - A Garden


Marker with a rain coat!

Hope you try these out. I use them in my own garden.


Bye!


GrandBob


PS: Many, Many more projects and articles are coming. Don't miss a one!