The Ashintully episode is the story of one man, composer John McLennan, and his conviction that his happiness and peace could be found in a place, his birthplace high on a ridge in the Berkshires. His family's elegant mansion was lost in a dramatic blaze in 1952. Only after it was destroyed did McLennan begin work on a garden surrounding the farmhouse and barn in the forest below. The creation of the garden and McLennan's ultimate desire to preserve it as his legacy is the story of one man's discovery of peace through the creative process of working closely with nature. The garden that remains is a palpable expression of serenity and joy and embodies McLennan's exploration of the relationship between the arts of music and garden design.

Katharine McLennan, the composer's widow, leads host Rebecca Frischkorn on a tour of the garden, and eminent composer and conductor Gunther Schuller, the composer's friend, discusses the relationship between McLennan's music and his garden.