The Seasons of Harold Hatcher

The garden is the dream of one man, the late Harold Hatcher, who grew up in poverty in Kentucky tobacco country but struggled against the odds to turn his life into one of promise and fulfillment. Author Mike Hembree brings Hatcher's story alive in an evocative biography from the Hub City Writers Project, illustrated with more than a dozen color images by talented photographer Mark Olencki.

Hembree's book tells the story of Hatcher's early years as an energetic civil rights pioneer and social activist in Indiana. It follows him through his move to South Carolina in 1969, where he began work in his backyard on what would become one of the Southeast's most impressive—though understated—public gardens. Hatcher's garden, which has been featured regionally in South Carolina Wildlife magazine, nationally in Southern Living magazine and internationally on Home and Garden television (HGTV).

While thousands visit the Hatcher trails and quiet places each year, few know the story of the unique and complex man who brought them to life. With publication of The Seasons of Harold Hatcher, the life of this extraordinary man becomes a permanent part of the South's cultural lore.