A personal and horticultural tour of the 400-year-old gardens at Chatsworth House in Derbyshire. The Duchess of Devonshire's anecdotal text takes the reader on a stroll through a garden that includes parterres and vistas, water in all its forms, rockeries and trees, a working kitchen garden and statuary, as well as planted borders. The history of the garden is described, incorporating the creation, the changes and the restorations both the Duke and Duchess have made, in the spirit of the place. The Duchess of Devonshire has lived at Chatsworth since 1950.