Why Gardening Feels Like War—And Why Zach Galifianakis Loves It Anyway

I caught a raccoon almost literally red-handed the other day. The night before, it—and presumably its comrades in what’s technically called a “gaze” of raccoons—had raided my garden, digging holes at random and uprooting seedlings I’d just planted. In three years of gardening, I’d never seen the culprits; only their aftermath. But now I had proof: a muddy paw print on a tipped-over watering can.

You might wonder why Zach Galifianakis, in his new Netflix docuseries This Is a Gardening Show, gushes about the simple joys of adding water and nutrients to the earth, hoping something grows—only to fear it’ll be snatched by omnivorous nocturnal bandits. “I honestly think for human beings and for the world itself, the only future is agrarian,” Galifianakis says in an episode about composting. “We should all know how to garden. It’s a better hobby than jetskiing.”

Gardening is frustrating and unpredictable—far safer than jetskiing, but no less rewarding. Across six episodes, Galifianakis visits farms and finds gardeners happier and funnier than most people. Maybe it’s the fresh air, the balanced diets, or the childhood thrill of spotting wiggling earthworms in compost. Or, more likely, it’s because raccoons have somehow vanished from those parts of the world.

Damning evidence left by the critters ravaging my garden. Courtesy of Matt Simon

This isn’t the Galifianakis of Between Two Ferns, where he eviscerates celebrities in on the joke. His new show is still funny, but in a sweeter, more pastoral way. Much of the humor comes from segments where he asks schoolchildren about food—insights that, while charming, aren’t exactly groundbreaking for gardeners. When Galifianakis explores gardens, the biting wit of Ferns gives way to genuine awe at what farmers achieve.

I get it. Every morning, I walk through my garden to assess the damage, water the survivors, and cut flowers to dry indoors. I watch bumblebees pollinate my native plants and snap fresh asparagus spears straight from the soil to eat raw. (You haven’t lived until you’ve tasted asparagus plucked from the ground—unbelievably tender, with a peppery, garlicky kick.)

Unlike the experts in This Is a Gardening Show, I don’t grow nearly enough to feed myself. But that’s not the point. Their operations stand in stark contrast to modern industrial agriculture, where food prices are skyrocketing as farmers grapple with rising costs.