Q. When is a permanent marker not a permanent marker?

[hedgehog]

A. When you label all your rose bushes, go away for six weeks, and there are several big rainstorms.

[kentauros]

1. You might be surprised at how quickly the sun

fades a black marker, too. Red fades faster, though.

Maybe get one of those oldstyle label-makers that pressed the letters into a strip of plastic?

[Erich Bloodaxe BSN]

2. Some of the garden stores offer soft thin copper plate markers

So that you essentially 'engrave' your labels into the copper on the marker.

(Edit: You have to use a hard stylus to press in, obviously.)

[lpbk2713]

3. Tongue depressors and a soft lead pencil works for me.

I've tried scratching on the inner side of Coke cans but that's hard to see.

The Central Florida sun and rain will make quick work of Sharpie ink.