Carol shows in detail how to sow seed, and then how to bring on the resulting young plants, caring for them until they reach maturity. Outdoors, she explains how to pant vegetables and how to combine edibles with ornamental plants in a tight space to make a colourful - and tasty - display. For more advanced gardeners, Carol gives precise instructions about how to make new plants from existing ones, by dividing them or by taking cuttings.

Carol begins by discussing the importance of observing nature, to understand how plants grow in the wild, and how a gardener can work out the conditions of their specific plot.