Add Botany of Desire to Your "Watch Instantly" Netflix Queue

I'm totally obsessed with Netflix and find great nerdy joy in updating my personalized queue. Over my deliberately relaxed, do-nothing weekend, I decided to watch Botany of Desire, the PBS documentary based on Michael Pollan's book. If other busy bees like me, can't read the book--relax by taking a break and watch it.

The Botany of Desire Deserves Two Green-Thumbs Up

The ever thought-provoking Pollan continues his ability to dish out food science and politics in an appetizing, easy-to-follow way. Made for the screen, his well-researched histories become cinematic, much more colorful and mouth-watering.

Never did I think I'd find utter fascination in the origins of apples, potatoes, tulips and cannabis--nor learn anything new. That is, until watching this flick. Pollan not only traces the history of each, but then turns to their societal and environmental implications and the human capacity to believe we're controlling Mother Nature.

Thought apples were native to North America? As it turns out, the sweet and crunchy red orbs, as we often know them, were truly sour in the wild and multi-colored and multi-shaped too. Asian-born, apples sprouted roots in Kazakhstan until their seeds traveled the Silk Road ultimately ending up in the New World. The human desire for sweet led to apple "grafting," increasing the popularity of only a select few species like the Red Delicious. Sweet might seem great but the eco-effects of this "artificial sweetening" are quite sour. The more grafting of a plant that occurs, the more we shrink the species' genetic diversity (think: monoculture). Having less genetic diversity, the more susceptible the plant becomes to pests that prey upon it. The more pests munching on apple farmers' apples, the more need for toxic pesticide application.

It truly sheds light on why conventionally grown apples are the most toxic among the "Dirty Dozen."

Without giving the most interesting meat of the documentary away, I'll let Pollan's eloquence and insight take it from here. His deep investigation into each plant species is a true reminder of the complex wonders that we find on our plate, in our garden beds or in our flower vases--and the purchasing power we have to support our small, local farmers and companies who aren't abusing their power.