New and familiar voices present the diversity of Australian gardens in these witty, sad, and informative contributions. Complimented by a wealth of garden images, plans, sketches, drawings, paintings, engravings, and photographs, these gardens are portrayed through a variety of sources, including previously unpublished letters and diary entries of ordinary people reveling in or struggling with their gardens, informed advice from newspapers and magazines, and extracts from Australian fiction, non-fiction, gardening catalogs, and planting guides.

Sue Martin was not three years old when she began life at her first children's home: a home that could at best be described as cold and regimented; at worst, torturous and terrifying. When her mother abandoned her to the protection of the home, Sue was soon to discover that behind the welcoming doors of this reputedly kind-hearted organization lay a world steeped in lies, cover-ups, victimization, and abuse. At its heart was Boagey, whose perverse bullying was targeted at Sue. Her attacks quickly progressed from the gratuitous punishment of an innocent child to sordid gratification of her...