She experimented with a broad palette of colors and range of native flora, shrubs, annuals and perennials to create her signature painterly plantings.

In 1982, Elizabeth Barlow Rogers, a friend who at the time was the Administrator of Central Park, invited Miller to help restore the Conservatory Garden, six neglected and vandalized acres located near Fifth Avenue and 104th Street.

"[10] Miller's very visible success with Central Park led to subsequent commissions, collaborative plantings and redesigns of established gardens.

She has been lauded for designs and renewals of numerous urban spaces such as Bryant Park and referred to as "New York City's very own Miss Rumphius"[11] for bringing beauty to everyone.

[23] As part of a team that included architects Beyer Blinder Belle,[24] they sought ways to make planting choices that respected the history of the property but also took climate change into account such as installing fewer annuals and substituting perennials.

As of 2019, over 7.5 million daffodils have been planted in parks, school yards, community gardens and tree beds on sidewalks throughout the five boroughs.

The book details not only her approach to designing attractive gardens for public use but also how to secure funding and volunteers for these maintenance heavy endeavors.