A lifelong gardener, Elvin McDonald is an editor at large for Better Homes and Gardens. The recipient of the Chicago Horticultural Society's Hutchinson Medal for lifetime achievement, McDonald was also named to the Garden Writers Association Hall of Fame and has designed gardens for celebrities and public agencies across the country. He is the author, editor, photographer, or publisher of hundreds of gardening books, and his work has earned him the nickname Dean of American Garden Editors. McDonald lives in Des Moines, Iowa.