Histories, medicinal uses, and recipe ideas for food plants from A to Z—illustrated with beautiful watercolor art.Focusing on the most growable vegetables, herbs, and fruits for the greatest number of people, Jack Staub tells the stories of their origins and apprises the home gardener on ways to use them, from the table to remedies and potions.Up-to-the-minute cultivation and culinary advice are delivered with accessibility and wit, as well as tidbits of fo...

"An intimate tour of more than twenty stunning private gardens in Virginia, New York, Connecticut, Maryland, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Massachusetts."— Sophisticated LivingIn this book, garden design expert Jack Staub offers a tour of private country paradises in the Eastern United States boasting remarkable plant palettes and combinations. Anyone can find inspiration in these oases of beauty nestled in towns including Hudson, New York; Middleburg, Vir...

An A-to-Z journey through a wide variety of herbs and their fascinating history of medicinal and culinary uses—includes illustrations!Discover some unique additions to your garden in this reference filled with fascinating facts, unexpected lore, elegant prose, and beautiful watercolor illustrations by Ellen Buchert.From popular herbs like basil, lavender, and peppermint to lesser-known choices like meadowsweet and soapwort, this is a treasury that reveals h...

A richly illustrated guide to unique and gorgeous vegetable varieties for your garden.Seventy-five unusual and eminently beautiful vegetables are profiled in this charming book by expert gardener and garden designer Jack Staub. Within these pages, you'll discover produce not likely found at the supermarket, including the Asparagus Bean, Chinese Rat Tail Radish, Green Zebra Tomato, and Turkish Orange Eggplant. Staub includes history, stories, and lore surrounding the...

“Vision, tenacity, and a perfectionist’s eye are the qualities that shine out from this account of a paradise garden created by two of America’s foremost stylists.” —Anna Pavord, author of The Curious Gardener and LandskippingOne of the most spectacular private gardens in America, Hortulus Farm is the masterpiece of Renny Reynolds and Jack Staub, renowned experts in the fields of design, gardening, and entertaining. It is beautifully captured in

Gardening can be an easy and fun experience. You do not have to be a genius to grow your own delicious vegetables.The basics of ardening are quite simple. This Simple Gardening Guide will help you to grow and enjoy the delicious flavors of some of the most popular food crops.You do not need acres of land to grow vegetables. Many can be grown in containers place on a sunny windowsill or in the sunny part of your patio or balcony.

With this book in one hand and a brush in the other, you can learn how to create different finishes and effects with paint to change everyday rooms and furnishings into something special, all for the price of a pot of paint. The first section of the book tells you everything you need to know before you start - how to prepare surfaces properly, choose the right paint for the right place, use the best tools and select a colour scheme that will work with the room in question. 50 different tec...

Soap making is really easy and there are basically only two ingredients:LardLyeIf that seems a bit complicated there is an even easy method. One tremendous secret of soap making is that soap melts! This might not seem earth shattering. But, as it melts you can use simple cheap soaps as a base for your own creations.There are certain cautions that you do need to take, however, thousands of people around the world make homemade soap every day of the year safely an...

Since 1973, Storey's Country Wisdom Bulletins have offered practical, hands-on instructions designed to help readers master dozens of country living skills quickly and easily. There are now more than 170 titles in this series, and their remarkable popularity reflects the common desire of country and city dwellers alike to cultivate personal independence in everyday life.

The art of making soap is a complex one. True soap making is part craft and part chemistry. Fortunately, soap making doesn't end up with bars and bars of plain white soap. There are a great many types of soaps to be made of different colors, scents and purposes.Soap is a popular gift to give for birthdays, Christmas, bridal showers and Mother's day. You can also make it year round and sell it at boutiques and craft fairs. You may or may not make your money's worth if you are making...

The designer and author of Habitat "shares how she imbues any space with warmth and energy" in this elevated yet accessible follow-up (MarthaStewart.com).Down to Earth picks up right where Lauren Liess's critically acclaimed Habitat left off. While Habitat walked readers through the decorating process step-by-step, Liess's latest title takes a step beyond the basics and invites readers to incorporate the main components of her fam...