Barbara W. Ellis, a freelance writer and editor and lifelong gardener, is the author of Covering Ground, Deckscaping, and Taylor's Guide to Growing North America's Favorite Plants, as well as several other volumes in the popular Taylor's Guide gardening series. Ellis lives in Maryland on the Eastern Shore of the Chesapeake Bay with her husband and an assortment of dogs, cats, and parrots. Her garden is a perpetual work in progress.