Gus is a morose and insular youngster. When he is pressed into service in the garden by his mother, he is reluctant to spend time with the twee sun, birds, and grass.
But once he grabs his watering can, he enters a world more grim and interesting than he'd ever imagined.
He quickly discovers the dark side of the "circle of life" and is thrilled to learn that gardening also includes grime, death, and decay.