When chemical engineer Abby Peterson moves to Grand Haven on Lake Michigan for a new job, she hopes her small family will find happiness here. Their landlady lives next door, whom they have not yet met in person. For decades, Iris Maynard has lived in isolation behind a towering fence that surrounds her home and property. After losing her husband in the war, she has withdrawn from the world and lives only for her plants - and the memories of her own family. Abby and her little daughter are magically attracted to the scent of the daylilies and roses that Iris grows herself. United by their love of gardens, Iris and Abby gradually confide in each other about their problems and learn that hopes and dreams can bloom just like flowers.