Garden for Life: Strategies for Easier, Greener, More Joyful Gardening as We Age

by Rhonda Fleming Hayes

Genres: Gardening, Nonfiction

256 pages, Paperback

Published April 21, 2026

About the author

Rhonda Fleming Hayes is the author of Pollinator Friendly Gardening: Gardening for Bees, Butterflies and Other Pollinators.

Rhonda is an award-winning writer and photographer applying her passion for all things plant-related with wit and solid research-based advice. She is a monthly columnist for the Minneapolis Star Tribune. She contributes unique feature stories to Northern Gardener magazine as well as her popular “Kitchen Garden” column. She has also been published in Mother Earth Living, The Herbalist, Wichita Eagle, Savannah Magazine and many online sites.

Rhonda is a native Californian with Southern roots now living in Minnesota. Following her husband’s nomadic career she has lived and gardened in Tennessee, Kansas (twice), Illinois (twice), Iowa and even England. Regardless of location she learned to bloom where she’s planted. In between writing assignments in Minnesota she shovels compost or snow depending upon the season.

Rhonda gardens in Minneapolis in an urban neighborhood surrounded by woods and water. The abundant quarter-acre is home to many bees, butterflies, birds and beneficial insects. She loves to share the fruits (and veggies too) of her garden with friends, family and wildlife.

Rhonda became certified as an Extension Master Gardener in 2000 but has been gardening in some form or fashion since she was a child at her grandmother’s knee. She is a member of the Garden Writers Association, The Herb Society of America, The Xerces Society and the Minnesota State Horticultural Society. She is a trustee of the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum.

Reviews

[Jessica · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a very unique gardening book in that it is all about how to keep gardening as you age. Rhonda Hayes is a Master Gardener and has always enjoyed gardening from a young age. But, as she's aged, she's realized that you need to adapt your garden to your stage of life - whether that means downsizing, hiring out more of the heavy lifting, or changing up your containers or even the type of plants you grow. The book is divided into three categories - rightsizing your garden, designing for comfort and joy, and staying in the game. Gardening is one of the best ways to stay active as you age, but making your garden easier to manage can be helpful at any age. Hayes gives lots of good tips and resources throughout the book. I'm in my late 40's, but my husband and I are already adjusting somethings now to make things easier to manage. I definitely got some good ideas from this book.

[A · Rating 3 out of 5]

There is probably little new information for life-long gardeners who have learned how to create and maintain a garden of their own. This book is more for older "newcomers" who might need help in setting up a garden from scratch.

[Amy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderful book to inspire how to think about gardening as my body changes and I get older.