Grades 3-12, College, Adult
Directed by Susan Fleming
Produced by Secret World of Gardens Productions
DVD Purchase $195, Rent $45
US Release Date: 2007
Copyright Date: 2004
DVD ISBN: 1-59458-645-4
Subjects
Animal Behavior/Communication
Animals
Biology
Botany
Ecology
Gardening
Habitat
Insects
Language Arts
Life Science
Natural History
Outdoor Education
Photography
Wildlife
Awards and Festivals
Best Science/Nature/Adventure Documentary & Best Direction, Gemini Awards
Honorable Mention, Columbus International Film & Video Festival
Kodak Award, Excellence in Cinematography
Sap Sucking Hoppers
The astronauts of the garden.
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"The most eye-popping series." The (Toronto) Globe & Mail |
They are the astronauts of the garden: small bugs called hoppers able to blast off with so much power that they have to withstand 400 G-forces a jump! Most people would be surprised to learn they exist, let alone that thousands of them call their backyard home since most gardeners have never even seen one.
But that is all part of the hopper plan - they are masters of disguise and even when you are looking right at them they are sometimes hard to see. Some are dead ringers for thorns while others look like buds or leaves but all of them have a secret story full of mystery and mayhem. Hitch a ride on the back of a leafhopper or hide out with a spittlebug in this episode of The Secret World of Gardens.
The other episodes are:
1. Life In A Vegetable Garden - Many mouths to feed, and clever ways to avoid becoming a meal.
2. Nightlife - What comes out at night in the garden.
3. Honeybees - The role of honeybees in a common garden.
4. Appleachia - The amazing array of life an apple tree can lure into a garden.
5. Fungi - What you see is only the tip of the iceberg.
7. Garden Mimics - More than meets the eye.
8. Vines - The good, the bad and the ugly side of vines.
9. Whether The Weather - How plants survive the stress of changes in the weather.
10. Weevils - They crawl, they fly, and some even swim...
11. Squirrels - What are these chipmunks and squirrels doing in the garden?
12. The Old Oak Tree - The diverse world of oaks and their residents.
13. Life In A Lawn - Paradise is a well-tended lawn.
Reviews
"The most eye-popping series."
"Through dramatic macro-photography, viewers enter the sci-fi beauty of the garden and gain a new perspective on the interactive roles played by everything from the lowly earwig to the majestic rose."
"This outstanding series is especially recommended for school and community libraries as being of special interest and value for children and adults with an interest in gardening and its flora/fauna ecosystems through all four seasons of the year."