‘Tiny World’ Recap: ‘Garden’

Written by John Edward Betancourt

Caution: This article contains spoilers for the finale of 'Tiny World'. 
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It really is quite amazing when a documentary hits the market, that can genuinely teach you something new and exciting about our world. Because we have discovered and uncovered a great many of its secrets, so when something dynamic and fresh arrives, it is definitely worth celebrating and that’s precisely why the Apple TV+ series, Tiny World, deserves endless praise. Because it really has done a phenomenal job of opening our eyes to a segment of our world that we simply don’t pay enough attention to. And focusing on the tiny critters that live beneath our feet has allowed for a fascinating journey to take place, one that has provided the audience with a fine understanding of how itty-bitty animals thrive and survive in some of the toughest parts of the world.

In fact, this documentary has been so thorough in its exploration, that in many ways it seemed as though there was no more story left for this saga to tell. For we have indeed been all around the globe and learned a bevy of facts about the various tiny beings that scurry about, out of sight. But as it turns out, there is one last place in the world that the series felt the need to cover, in order to properly hammer home just how many tiny creatures there are in the world and how often we miss them, because we think are the true masters of our domain and the property we own. And that made 'Garden', quite the eye-opening and poignant finale. Simply because it wasted no time in teaching us that our backyards and our gardens are actually home to quite the complex eco-system. 

One that a stunningly large variety of tiny animals and insects call home and well, it was quite powerful to learn exactly how each and every one of them depend upon us and our carefully curated lawns and gardens to survive. Take tiny spiders for instance. Since they use all the various structures, we leave in the open to make their nests and lay their eggs, making our decorations and toys and everything in between essential shelters for these little beings. And of course, our desire to have natural ingredients in our food, helps to feed other insects. Since ants make use of the aphids in our gardens to provide them with what they need to feed, and our inadvertent symbiotic relationship with nature doesn’t end with the little bugs of the world.

For our desire to attract nature into our backyards and our gardens by way of say, a bird feeder, allows for squirrels to find a place to rest and feed when cute little robins aren’t taking advantage of the food we’ve put out. Plus, if you’re in Europe, there is a fair chance that field hamsters might make their way into your yard. Because the tomatoes we planned on using in our cooking, is a great source of nutrients for them and their young and really, it was just fascinating to learn that even though we’ve conquered this world in our own special way, that nature still finds a way to live alongside us and thrive. If anything, that revelation serves to remind us that that our world is far more connected than we often realize and that sometimes our decisions in regard to comfort can have a positive impact on the wildlife around us, and that’s a wonderful lesson to send our way.

For it really does teach us to be mindful of the world that surrounds us and to appreciate and respect and care for all of the creatures that we share this planet with. Because they’re special and wonderful, regardless of their size, and they deserve every chance to thrive, and hopefully the next time we’re out in the woods, or an island vacation or just sitting in our backyard sipping on a cold drink; we take a moment to remember that we are not alone in the slightest. Because beneath our feet is a tiny world, filled with tiny lives, the kind that remind us that nature is resilient and ambitious and downright inspiring. Because if these little critters can overcome the odds to see tomorrow, then there is nothing that mankind cannot do when it applies itself to a greater goal and really in the end, this was quite the magnificent documentary. One that truly put the beauty of these tiny animals on display and it should be interesting to see what other dynamic and unique documentaries await us from AppleTV+ down the line, since their first attempt at exploring our world was a rousing success. 

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