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In the gardening world, it is important to to try to grow and maintain the best plants that you can. That is where smart gardening techniques come in handy. This will help you grow the most plentiful, beautiful and healthiest plants that you can. Follow these tips to become a better gardener. A handy trick is to turn the handle on a tool that you use often into a makeshift ruler. Tools that have long handles such as rakes, hoes and shovels can be used in place of a measuring stick. Place the handles on the floor, then set a measuring tape alongside them. Use a bright permanent marker and label the distances. Now, the next time you're down in the garden, you'll have a handy ruler without needing to look anywhere else. Use both annuals and biennials to add a splash of color to your flower beds. Your flower beds will look different from one season to another. They are very useful for filling in the gaps between perennials and shrubs in a sunny area. Notable varieties include cosmos, rudbeckia, petunia, hollyhock, marigold and sunflower. When planting a garden there should always be space reserved for essential kitchen herbs. These are available either fresh or dried in the grocery stores and are always expensive. Mint, parsley, basil, dill all can be grown in almost any climate. Also, these herbs are very easy to grow and can be used on a daily basis in the kitchen, and what is not used can be dried and stored for later use. A key element to having a great garden is to fence it in. In many areas the wildlife will consume the fruits and vegetables as soon as they sprout, yielding little or no harvest. A good fence will not only keep out the wildlife, but it will keep out the neighborhood children from playing ball and pets from digging. If you have planted vegetables within your garden, make sure that they are getting at least six hours of sunlight each day. Most vegetables that can be grown need that much sun to grow well and quickly. This is true for flowers as well. If you do not like chemical insect repellants you should consider using herbs instead. Herbs like chives can be used in place of the chemical insect repellants to keep bugs from eating your flowers and produce. You can grow chives yourself or buy them at your local grocery store. Choose silvers and grays to lighten up the garden on dull days and shine in the moonlight. While most gray-leafed plants are attractive enough to hold their own in the garden, they are often used due to the effect they have on surrounding colors. They make pastel colors look brighter, and tone down the effect of vivid colors. Most plants with silver or gray foliage are native to the Mediterranean, therefore requiring little watering in the dry months. The best known silver and gray plants are dusty miller, lychnis, silver lace and artemisia. It is possible to grow an organic garden all year if you have a sufficient light source for an indoor garden. Plants need plenty of light in order to grow properly and there are bulbs that can be purchased to provide indoor gardens with the appropriate amount of light to have them thrive and produce a fruitful bounty. As you can see from the previous list of tips, gardening can really be an enjoyable hobby or career. It takes a lot of hard work, a lot of maintenance and a lot of patience, but it is all worth it in the end to have a beautifully maintained garden.View more gardening products: phoenix home and garden
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