Garden For Life

“This is a delightful book, full of gorgeous photographs and many good ideas. It will give older gardeners plenty of inspiration and confidence.”—Barbara Damrosch, author of A Life in the Garden and The Garden Primer

“I couldn’t put this book down. The wealth of information in Garden for Life truly encompasses all the aspects one should consider when gardening at any age. It captures the spirit and common thoughts, experiences, and generosity all gardeners share, and Rhonda’s charming way of addressing how to create, maintain, and manage a garden as one ages is very impressive. I truly loved reading it.”—Madeline de Vries Hooper, creator, executive producer, and host, GardenFit

“Garden for Life is the book to keep handy and dip into often. A very enjoyable, heartwarming guide packed with wisdom, tried-and-trusted methods, and incredibly useful tips for enjoying your garden in later life.”—Kathryn Bradley-Hole, author of The Naturally Beautiful Garden and English Gardens

“In Garden for Life, Hayes uses her lifetime of gardening experience and wisdom to help us create a stunning yet manageable garden that continually delights.”—Niki Jabbour, author of The Year-Round Vegetable Garden and Growing Under Cover

“Rhonda Fleming Hayes knows what we’re all thinking: the garden isn’t too big, our priorities are just shifting. Garden for Life is the no-nonsense, big-hearted guide that meets us exactly where we are with solutions that actually work. Forget those glossy magazines showing gardens that require three assistants and the knees of a twenty-year-old. Hayes gives us living mulch, rolling carts, and the permission to let things go wild at the edges. She’s clever, helpful, and fiercely on our side. This book won’t make you feel guilty about what you can’t do anymore. It’ll make you excited about what you still can do. Your future self will thank you for reading it.”—Shawna Coronado, author of 101 Organic Gardening Hacks

“This book confirms what plant people know—that gardening can be hard work, but work made lighter by embracing inevitable change and the power of living with plants. Full of patience and hope for our world and our bodies in the form of warm and practical advice, Garden for Life helps us cultivate resilience in the gardens we gift to our human and wild communities.”—Benjamin Vogt, author of Prairie Up and A New Garden Ethic

“Rhonda Fleming Hayes has put together the perfect template for creating and caring for a garden as we age. She offers sage advice for downsizing and rethinking the garden, along with important growing tips, all presented with a gentle voice and wonderful sense of humor. Garden for Life is filled with beautiful photography, fun stories, and great information. It’s a must for a generation of gardeners who have spent a lifetime gardening and wish to continue getting their hands dirty.”—Doug Oster, Emmy Award–winning garden host, writer, and producer

“Garden for Life pairs Rhonda’s joyful approach to gardening with down-to-earth information that will make gardening easier and more fun, no matter what age you are.”—Jenny Rose Carey, author of The Ultimate Flower Gardener’s Guide and The Essential Guide to Bulbs

“Garden for Life by Rhonda Fleming Hayes is a terrific resource for anyone looking to make their gardening time easier and more enjoyable. None of us are getting any younger, and the tools and techniques that Hayes provides can help us garden well into our senior years. Gardening itself is an act of hope, and I especially appreciate the content focused on inspiration and examples. This book includes the concept of passing gardening wisdom on to the next generation—something we all can benefit from.”—Kathy Jentz, host, GardenDC podcast; author of Groundcover Revolution

“Only a gardener who is deeply rooted in the lessons of our earth could have written such a book. Rhonda’s intimate, hands-in-the-soil wisdom mixed with tips, science, cultivation, and inspiration makes for the perfect garden read.”—Sharon Lovejoy, author and illustrator of Roots, Shoots, Buckets Boots

“Whether you’re aging in place and paring back for easier care, moving to a smaller home and starting fresh, or gardening at a tabletop or patio-container scale, Rhonda Fleming Hayes offers practical lessons for keeping your hands in the dirt for years to come. Her book delivers a smart mix of safe design ideas, adaptable gardening practices, and ergonomic tools that reduce strain, lower the risk of injury, and leave room for the fun part: watching things grow.”—Pam Penick, author of Lawn Gone! and Gardens of Texas; publisher, Digging blog

Rhonda Fleming Hayes is the author of Pollinator Friendly Gardening: Gardening for Bees, Butterflies, and Other Pollinators. She is an award-winning writer and photographer with a passion for all things plant-related. Combining a lifetime of gardening experience with wit and solid research-based advice, her stories have been featured in the Minnesota Star Tribune, Northern Gardener, and Mpls/StPaul Magazine. She has also been published in Southern Living, Midwest Living, Savannah Magazine, and numerous online sites.

Rhonda is a popular speaker for garden clubs and other groups, with presentations covering pollinators, butterfly gardening, native plants, and the art of kitchen gardening, among other topics.

A native Californian with Southern roots, Rhonda now lives in Minnesota. She and her husband spend winters in New Orleans, where she delights in growing her own lemons. She has also lived and gardened in Tennessee, Kansas (twice), Illinois (twice), Iowa, and England, learning to “bloom where she’s planted” regardless of location.

Rhonda gardens in Minneapolis in an urban neighborhood surrounded by woods and water. Her abundant garden is a haven for bees, butterflies, birds, and beneficial insects. She enjoys sharing the produce of her garden with friends, family, and wildlife. She has volunteered as an Extension Master Gardener since 2000. She is a member of GardenComm, the Minnesota State Horticultural Society, the Herb Society of America, and is a past trustee of the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum.

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