Get a Brother P-touch label maker. Inexpensive and the labels are laminated and last indefinitely outdoors (you do need something like a metal marker to apply them to). Lots of options for both label color and font size.

On a personal note, I gave up labeling plants years ago!! I was tired of my gardens looking like a plant graveyard and I am not an arboretum :-) So I remember what I planted where or note it on a garden plan. Or not, as the case may be :-)

alan, what sort of metal labels do you use?

Paint pens

1) Acton, Ma's Arboretum Hosta Garden was conceived as a showplace of hostas that you could use in a home garden. It doesn't make much sense if they are not labeled. It is the only one of the many gardens there where everything is labeled.

2) I use pretty standard metal labels that are sold in most garden centers. The Paw-paw Everlast company is one that makes this type of label. I have been using a Laser Printer to print clear labels that I apply to the metal labels. I suppose a label-maker that prints 3/4 inch wide labels would also work. Periodically labels disappear; perhaps a local dog walked through and ripped them out.