Julie loves living in Paris, but wishes she could walk in a country garden, so when her mother takes her to visit a friend, she is happy to discover one of the most beautiful gardens she has ever seen, owned by Claude Monet.
The villagers get into jealous arguments about their plan to create a splendid garden for their emperor, but these are happily resolved when the emperor himself comes to visit.
Rhyming verses and illustrations introduce the letters of the alphabet and describe how a garden is planned and planted, how things grow, and the joy a garden brings.