Best plant labels and markers for your fruit and veg patch

By Alice Tuffery

Published: Tuesday, 31 May 2022 at 12:00 am

If you enjoy growing an assortment of plants in your garden or allotment, telling them apart can be tricky – especially as you wait for seeds to germinate. Whether you want to keep tabs on the progress of different varieties or just distinguish flowers within your garden, it’s worth investing in some plant labels.

Happily, plant markers are more than just a useful addition; there’s a huge selection of beautifully crafted options online, all designed to enhance the look of your plot.

12 stylish plant labels and marker sets for your veg patch

We’ve rounded up 12 of the most beautiful and practical plant labels available online. Keep scrolling to browse our favourites, made from slate, wood and terracotta, as well as ceramic, wire and metal.

Slate garden markers and chalk

Best slate plant labels

For a traditional look, you can’t go wrong with slate plant markers like these. With their dark colouring and textured finish, they’re a smart choice for both modern and mature gardens.

This set comes with 20 separate slate labels, each with their natural rough texture for a rustic look. The tabs are 20cm in height and 3cm across, providing plenty of room for you to mark up your plants. Just use the two soapstone chalk pencils included in the pack to add your own wording.

Garden tags

Best plant markers with storage pouch

Complete with a pretty, woven storage pouch, this neat set of plant labels is a great option to keep in the shed. The markers themselves are made from durable pine wood, while the bag features sustainable bamboo fibres.

You’ll get 18 labels in the pack, as well as a small pencil for adding your notes. As an extra bonus, the thin tags are lightweight, so they’re perfect for labelling up plants as you potter round the garden.

Buy now from Garden Trading (£10.00)

Plant and herb markers

Best ceramic plant labels

With their cheerful colouring and individual illustrations, these plant labels make a charming addition to any fruit and veg patch. Crafted from scratch in the maker’s home studio, these sweet ceramic markers are created with handmade stamps before being glazed and fired in the kiln.

Choose the colourful labels to identify your fruit and veg, or opt for the green-toned markers for herb plots. If one of your plant names isn’t available, the maker can create it for you.

Buy fruit and veg markers from Etsy UK (£3.50)
Buy herb markers from Etsy UK (£3.50)

Wooden vegetable and plant markers

Best wooden plant labels

Brown-toned paint and engraved capital letters give these plant labels a smart look, ideal for organising large veg patches and raised beds.

Plus, the stakes are made from recycled wood, so they’re a sustainable option too.

Either choose plant names in the drop-down menu or type in your own wording for a personalised marker.

Buy now from Not On The High Street (£3.00)

Wire vegetable and herb markers

Best wire plant labels

Here’s something a little different: wire plant labels showing your veggies as images, or your herbs as written words. With their unique design, these markers will certainly help your garden stand out from the crowd.

The unusual signs are handmade from powder-coated stainless steel, finished with FDA-approved, water-resistant paint to keep them looking smart for decades to come.

Choose between seven different vegetable options, or add your own herb names. You’ll be able to select your preferred colour too, such as white, gold or black.

50 wooden plant markers with pen

Best sustainable plant labels

If you don’t want to spend much on plant labels, opting for a sustainable option like these is a great way to avoid using plastic markers. This inexpensive pack contains 50 bamboo labels, each with a large panel to note down plant names.

You’ll also get a waterproof pen, which you can use to write on both sides of the markers.

Buy now from Coopers of Stortford (£12.99)

Floral herb and vegetable markers

Best small plant labels

Handcrafted ceramic markers make fantastic plant labels; they’re hard-wearing, rust-proof and the names won’t wash off in the rain. These ones also use frost-proof clay, so they’ll easily survive winter cold snaps.

As the markers are 12cm long, they’re ideal for small herb pots or windowsill displays.

The labels come in sets of five, with the option to choose the plant names or submit your own customised wording.

Ginkgo leaf plant markers

Best antique brass plant labels

If you’re after a more decorative plant marker design, try these ones in the shape of a ginkgo leaf. They come with an antique brass finish and a clear matt lacquer. Just add plant names with an indelible marker pen.

You have two design options with this set; one with a stake for pots, borders and beds, and one with a curled wire spiral for hanging from trees and bushes. Whichever type you choose, you’ll get four labels per pack.

Handmade terracotta clay labels

Best terracotta plant labels

Perfect for country cottage gardens, these terracotta plant labels have a simple, rustic look. They’re unglazed, so you can add extra notes on the back with chalk.

Choose from plenty of different herbs and veggies in the drop-down menu or buy a set to create personalised markers with your own combination of plant names.

Buy now from Etsy UK (£3.50)

Set of 10 slate plant labels and chalk

Best hanging plant labels

Rather than opt for a traditional oblong stake, you could go for a suspended label like this one. Featuring a stainless steel rod and hanging panel, it would work well in any stylish garden display.

Just use the included soapstone chalk pencil to write your plant name onto the slate panel and thread it onto the steel rod.

Even once pressed into the ground, the plant marker should stand fairly tall, as it’s 40cm long in total. The slate label is 10cm by 7cm, which should provide enough space for a few words.

Stoneware set of 4 tipped plant tags

Best plant labels for small herb patches

If you’re cultivating a windowsill garden or you limit your veg patch to a few herb pots, these markers could be the perfect choice. The pack comes with four different tags: mint, sage, thyme and rosemary.

Made from stoneware, these plant markers are designed to stand the test of time. Each is roughly 15cm tall and 2.3cm across.