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Titles List

  • Help your trees, shrubs, and vines look and yield their best by making the right cut every time. Whether you are hoping for more flowers or fruit, trying to create a dense screen, or struggling to manage out-of-control growth, there… Read More

  • Expert Beth Smith teaches you everything you need to know to spin your own yarn, from choosing a spinning wheel to every stage of preparing your fiber, plying, winding off, and finishing. Fully illustrated step-by-step instructions make it simple and… Read More

  • Expert Glenn Drowns offers all the information and guidance you need to successfully exhibit your poultry at fairs and expositions. Learn how to select the best breeds and birds for exhibition and how to raise them with the proper diet,… Read More

  • Chef Bill Collins demonstrates all the techniques you need to make caramel candies, cookies, puddings, and more, using illustrated step-by-step instructions that ensure success every time. Includes safety guidelines, troubleshooting tips, and irresistible recipes! Read More

  • For beginning gardeners and homeowners, this handbook shows you exactly how to plan, build, and plant a simple raised bed. Fully illustrated step-by-step instructions make it easy and ensure success! In just a weekend, using a few basic materials and… Read More

  • Straw bale gardening is an inexpensive, low-maintenance way to grow a bounty of food in a small space. All you need is a bale of straw, some fertilizer, and your favorite vegetable seeds! Craig LeHoullier’s step-by-step instructions show you how… Read More

  • Whether you’re working socks from the toe up or from the cuff down, designer Donna Druchunas’s complete, step-by-step instructions make sock knitting easy, enjoyable, and successful. You’ll learn several approaches for getting started, and you’ll also discover how to shape… Read More

  • This Storey BASICS® title offers exactly what you need to know to keep your small farm’s equipment in good working order. Long-time farmers Steve and Ann Larkin Hansen cover everything from tractors and mowers to trimmers, tillers, ATVs, plows, discs,… Read More

  • Give your favorite furniture a new look! Patricia Hoskins, co-author of the best-selling One-Yard Wonders, offers simple, step-by-step, illustrated instructions for making your own slipcovers for dining chairs, easy chairs, ottomans, and sofas with either loose back pillows or fixed… Read More

  • Rebecca Yaker, co-author of the best-selling One-Yard Wonders, offers this complete introduction to making your own curtains, covering everything from measuring to calculating yardage, choosing the best fabrics, sewing your curtains, adding linings, and selecting the right fixtures and hardware for… Read More

  • Herbal remedies can provide safe and effective treatment for common childhood ailments ranging from diaper rash and teething to sore throats and conjunctivitis. In this Storey BASICS® guide, Rosemary Gladstar shows you how to prepare soothing salves, syrups, tablets, and… Read More

  • Enjoy all of your favorite ice creams — without the dairy! In this Storey BASICS® guide, Nicole Weston shows you how to make vegan “ice creams” right at home, with soy, almond, or coconut milk. Fill your bowl with classics… Read More

  • Churn out delicious ice cream right in your own kitchen. In this Storey BASICS® guide, Nicole Weston breaks down the process into reproducible steps that are easy to follow. More than 50 recipes for flavors both classic and daringly original… Read More

  • Mulch your way to a vibrant and healthy home landscape. Profiling a variety of techniques that include sheet mulches, feeding mulches, and living mulches, Stu Campbell and Jennifer Kujawski help you choose the best mulching strategy for your backyard, vegetable… Read More

  • Whether you want to protect your garden, provide a safe enclosure for pets, or add privacy, this Storey BASICS® guide covers you everything you need to know to build the perfect fence. Offering clear step-by-step instructions, Jeff Beneke shows you… Read More

  • Anyone who raises livestock or keeps horses must deal with manure. This Storey BASICS® guide shows you how to make this process manageable, useful, and even profitable. Organic dairy farmer and soil scientist Mark Kopecky explains the fundamentals of storing,… Read More

  • Growing beautiful Christmas trees is a great way to generate off-season farm income and make better use of your land. From selecting a site and planting the right species to marketing and selling trees, this Storey BASICS® guide shows you… Read More

  • Create beaded necklaces, bracelets, and other jewelry with a professional look and finish. This delightful beginner’s guide presents step-by-step instructions and helpful illustrations that walk you through the basics of making beaded jewelry. You’ll learn how to use various pliers,… Read More

  • Show your style with handcrafted jewelry. Beaded Jewelry: Wirework Techniques has all the tips and tricks you need to make your own professional-looking jewelry using wirework techniques. Step-by-step instructions teach you how to select the best wire and tools for… Read More

  • Get all knotted up! This fun guide has all the information you need to make your own jewelry using knotting techniques. You’ll learn how to evaluate, select, and care for pearls and gemstones; how to select findings and tools; the… Read More

  • This concise Storey BASICS® guide teaches novice gardeners how to successfully keep indoor plants beautiful and healthy. Learn how to choose the best plants for your home and what each species needs in terms of location, water, sunlight, and fertilizer.… Read More

  • Look great, smell wonderful, and feel good as you make your own homemade natural body care products. In this Storey BASICS® guide to holistic beauty, Rosemary Gladstar shares more than 30 simple recipes for cleansers, moisturizers, and creams comprised of… Read More

  • In this Storey BASICS® guide, best-selling author and master herbalist Rosemary Gladstar shows you how to use 56 common herbs to safely address a wide range of everyday ailments. Covering everything from burns, wounds, and bruises to headaches, congestion, and… Read More

  • Whether you like your chocolate gooey and rich, creamy and smooth, or nutty and dark, this Storey BASICS® guide shows you how to make your favorite sweet treats right at home. Bill Collins provides illustrated step-by-step instructions for a variety… Read More

  • Leslie Ann Bestor makes learning to knit fun and easy. Bestor’s simple, fully illustrated instructions lead you through the basics of knitting, from choosing the right needles and yarn to reading a knitting pattern. You’ll quickly learn techniques for expertly… Read More

  • Get hooked on crochet and bring handcrafted charm to your home and wardrobe. Sara Delaney provides easy-to-follow illustrated instructions for joining, fastening off, selecting color schemes, and much more. Learn how to read crochet patterns and work a basic chain… Read More

  • With simple step-by-step instructions that require only basic sewing skills, Barbara Weiland Talbert shows you how to make your own beautiful and durable quilts. Taking you through the complete quilting process in an easy-to-follow sequence, Talbert shows you how to… Read More

  • Brighten your meals with the tasty tang of homemade vinegar. Chef Bill Collins shows you how to make your own vinegars, including wine, apple cider, malt, white, and rice vinegars, and then flavor them with herbs for exactly the taste… Read More

  • Good knife skills are key to feeling confident and comfortable in the kitchen. Chef Bill Collins teaches you how to wield cooking knives properly, so you can slice, peel, bone, and dice with ease. Illustrated step-by-step instructions show you how… Read More

  • Enjoy your favorite container plants year after year! From geraniums to fuchsias and beyond, many container plants can be overwintered and enjoyed again the next season. Alice and Brian McGowan offer simple techniques for overwintering a variety of common tender… Read More

  • Save vegetable seeds as you harvest so your favorite plants can grow again next season. In this Storey BASICS® guide, Fern Marshall Bradley covers everything you need to know to successfully save seeds from 20 popular garden vegetables, including beans,… Read More

  • Treat stress, anxiety, depression, and more with simple herbal remedies that calm your mind, build a healthy nervous system, and promote lasting peace. In this informative guide, renowned herbalist Rosemary Gladstar profiles 21 herbs proven to be effective at soothing… Read More

  • Rosemary Gladstar shows you how to enhance your well-being in middle age and beyond using herbal remedies that effectively and safely promote vitality. With in-depth profiles of 22 medicinal herbs, preparation instructions, and dosage guidelines, you’ll discover how you can… Read More

  • Ann Larkin Hansen offers expert advice on everything from scythes to disc mowers, and details the pros and cons of using horse power or tractors. You’ll learn how to choose the right species for your soil, judge hay quality to… Read More

  • Don’t forget the sprinkles as you get ready to spin out your own homemade creamy, soft-serve style frozen yogurt. In this Storey BASICS® guide, Nicole Weston shares her unique technique for making smooth and delicious frozen yogurt using a simple… Read More

  • Third-generation syrup makers Alison and Steven Anderson show you how to collect sap using a tree-friendly tubing system and then cook, package, and even market your own syrup. With expert advice for first-time bottlers, the Andersons share their passion with… Read More

  • Protect your livestock and gardens with electric fencing. In this Storey BASICS® guide, Ann Larkin Hansen describes the pros and cons of different varieties of electric fencing so that you can choose the fence that best suits your property and… Read More

  • Buying farmland is a major investment, so be sure you make an informed choice. This practical guide covers every factor you should consider before making a purchase, including government regulations, residential concerns from the surrounding area, soil conditions, and savvy… Read More

  • Get a jump on the gardening season! In this Storey BASICS® guide, Barbara Ellis provides the basic information that you need to start a variety of vegetables, herbs, and flowers from seed. Ellis shares simple, proven techniques for sowing seeds,… Read More

Barbara W. Ellis

Barbara W. Ellis

About the Author

Barbara W. Ellis is a freelance writer, editor, and lifelong gardener. She is the author of many gardening books, including The Veggie Gardener’s Answer Book, Deckscaping, Shady Retreats, and Covering Ground. She holds a B.S. in horticulture from the Ohio State University, Columbus, and a B.A. from Kenyon College. She has worked as managing editor at Rodale Press and as publications director for the American Horticultural Society and is affiliated with the Hardy Plant Society Mid-Atlantic Group, the Garden Writers Association, and the Perennial Plant Association. She lives and gardens in Maryland, where she and her husband live in a renovated “green” home with an assortment of rescued dogs, cats, and parrots. Her garden, which is managed organically and designed to be wildlife-friendly, features a wide range of ornamentals, herbs, and edibles for both sun and shade.

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