Growing up in rural Ontario, Shirley knows how difficult life can be. With an abusive father and a loving but ailing mother, she relies on her farm and a lot of hard work to survive. While enduring economic downturns, harsh winters, and a world war, Shirley feels a special connection to the land and the medicinal benefits of the plants that she cultivates. Rumors of her incredible botanical knowledge travel far and wide, until tourists arrive to reap the benefits of Miss Putnam's garden.

Although she's an independent woman, Shirley eventually falls in love and has a daughter whom she hopes to love and cherish as much as her mother was devoted to her. But life is never straightforward and there are always pitfalls to navigate. She has had her fill of love, loss, and closely kept family secrets; enough to bury in the soil of her beloved garden.

Miss Putnam's Garden is a testament to the power of the human spirit, and a chronicle of the lives of three incredible women.