Garden for Life

Strategies for Easier, Greener, More Joyful Gardening as We Age

Garden for Life
Pages:256 pages
Size: 7 x 10 inch
Publisher:Chelsea Green Publishing
Pub. Date: April 21, 2026
ISBN: 9781645023258

Garden for Life

Strategies for Easier, Greener, More Joyful Gardening as We Age

Availability: Preorder

Paperback

$29.95



From award-winning writer and photographer Rhonda Fleming Hayes comes the perfect guide to help you evaluate, redesign, and right-size your garden space as you age to make gardening easier, more sustainable, and perpetually fun!

In Garden for Life, Rhonda Fleming Hayes brings a lifetime of gardening experience, research-based advice, and collective wisdom to older gardeners who are looking for inspiration and practical strategies. This delightful comprehensive guide suggests ways to downsize or redesign an existing garden, presents new techniques and tools to make gardening less strenuous, and highlights plants that “multitask” to make a garden more sustainable—for both the gardener and the environment. It also advises on how and when to ask for help to lighten the load so we can focus on the life-enhancing aspects of time in the garden.

Garden for Life reminds us of the many proven health benefits of gardening. Gardening is a simple way to answer the human need to connect with nature, a craving called biophilia. It offers a low-intensity workout with a variety of natural movement, provides a sense of purpose while nurturing a meditative state that decreases stress, fosters improved nutrition and better brain health, and grows social connection and community. In short, gardening is excellent for health and longevity!

And if that is not motivation enough, Garden for Life also features “gardener spotlights”—short profiles of inspiring gardeners and their gardens across the country. The book concludes with a call to action, highlighting the many ways that older gardeners can cultivate the next generation of joyful, ecologically friendly gardeners in their communities.

 

Reviews & Praise

“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, GardenFitGarden 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 producerGarden 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 BulbsGarden 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
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About Rhonda Fleming Hayes

Rhonda Fleming Hayes is the author of Pollinator Friendly Gardening: Gardening for Bees, Butterflies, and Other Pollinators and an award- winning writer and photographer applying her passion to all things plant-related. Combining  a lifetime of gardening experience with wit and solid research-based advice, her stories can be found 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. She’s a popular speaker for garden clubs and other groups with presentations covering pollinators, butterfly gardening, native plants, and the art of kitchen gardening, to name a few. Rhonda is a native Californian with Southern roots living in Minnesota. Nowadays 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 even England. Regardless of location, she has learned to bloom where she’s planted.

Rhonda gardens in Minneapolis in an urban neighborhood surrounded by woods and water. The abundant plot is home to many bees, butterflies, birds, and beneficial insects. She loves to share the fruits (and veggies) 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.

Books by Rhonda Fleming Hayes