My second object is small, but none the less important- a plant label. The plant label symbolises gardeners’ efforts to propagate from seed and bring on plants into a state where they can ‘look after themselves’.
It also represents the importance of knowing what you’ve sown, where. It can be a right pain if you don’t and you forget what’s where until you’ve dug up your offspring rather than weeds!
I try to reuse my plastic labels by rubbing off the ‘permanent’ ink with some wire wool each year, which does the job well, though it can mean your next written label is a tad more smudgy than the first as the ink will spread in the fine scratches you create. Still it is the sustainable way to go! (Wooden labels are even better of course and you can also get other kinds, e.g slate).
Copper labels are useful for permanent labels on trees and shrubs and the likes- by impressing rather than inking in the name in the surface you don’t risk losing it to weathering.
Old School Garden 
I dream about a plant marker that I could put in the ground and would last year to year. Dream on right? 🙂
This I can attest to…. Having sown seeds then weeded up a whole patch 2 weeks later!
Oh… And have you ever heard of something called ‘Chinagraph pencils’? They are weather resistant and you just need a bit of white spirit to clean it off. Better than wire wool as the labels last longer!
Thanks for that idea, sounds useful. My wife has also told me that nail varnish remover will erase permanent marker, so another option with plastic labels!