Over the course of ten years Chris chronicles the creation of her cool-climate garden on the edge of the Blue Mountains in Hartley NSW, from bare paddock to established garden. Through flooding rains and hailstorms, droughts, impending bushfires and heat waves she takes us through the challenges and the successes, peppering the story with detailed growing advice. She describes how with an artist's eye, hard work, passion and perseverance she designed and cultivated a flourishing environment with a perennial border, orchard, vegie patch, woodland, wisteria arbour, lavender garden, cutting garden, native heath, ponds, deciduous and flowering trees, a fairy garden, rose arbour and a rose garden with over 450 roses. Following the story of the transformation of the garden, the reader witnesses the creation of a beautiful, peaceful garden sanctuary abounding with birds, frogs and other local wildlife.