Upon moving into her husband's childhood home to help take care of his elderly relatives, Jean Copeland, an emotionally withdrawn wife and mother of two, becomes embroiled in an affair with a suicidal lover. Her husband, Gordon, is oblivious, too busy worrying that he's losing his most prized possession, his mind, after a run-in with an ex-girlfriend he doesn't remember. 19-year-old, Priscilla, is a fashionista desperate to become a reality TV star, while 9-year-old crossword fanatic, Otis, has fallen in love for the very first time. Otis (played by Noah schanpp) falls in love with Caterina (played by Caroline Mills) after, well, forever. With Gordon's father, Theodore, fading into dementia, and 95-year old matriarch, Vivian, desperately clinging to control of the house, the six family members, at five stages of life, distill the dreams, worries, and regrets, of contemporary America.
At 38, Thomas is at a crossroads in his life. His parents are nonstop guilt-inducers, his ex-wife is always on his back, and his son is far from inspirational. Thomas himself is almost too intellectual to survive daily life. The attentions of a straightforward English teacher seem to be a way out.
The Garden Left Behind traces the relationship between Tina, a young transwoman, and Eliana, her grandmother, as they navigate Tina's transition and struggle to build a life for themselves as undocumented immigrants in New York City.