John Beardsley tells the story of about twenty-five "visionary environments" and the fiercely independent individuals who have created them in the course of the last century. This lively international tour ranges from the soaring spires of Watts Towers in Los Angeles to the spirit-lifting Camel Yard and Owl House in New Bethesda, South Africa, to the junk-and-flower filled labyrinths of Howard Finster's Paradise Garden near Summerville, Georgia.

While capturing the spirit of each individual's unique creation, Beardsley also situates the work in the larger contexts of traditional garden design, religious architecture, environmental sculpture, and folk art. He muses about the compulsion to create, the sense of place, and the visionary spirit that has inflamed these artists, quoting at length their own poignant and pungent commentary on what they have created and why.