The Creeping Garden

Gr 9 Up—This title is a mix of delights and disappointments. The camerawork is wonderful, highlighting the main topic, plasmodial slime mold, in all its colorful, pulsating glory. At one time, the organism was thought to be an animal, since slime mold moves, albeit slowly, on its own. It comes in many forms and can do tricks, like discovering a way through a maze. Scientists even found it could be used as a sensor sending out electric pulses if something is embedded within the slime mold. On the downside, the documentary begins slowly and tends to digress. Featured in the film are an artist who uses slime mold in her work, and an overly long explanation of time-lapse photography. Despite the drawbacks, young scientists may be inspired when shown the Kew Gardens Fungarium in London, which houses the largest collection of slime molds (though they are not fungi).