"This Is a Gardening Show" is a gardening show hosted by Zach Galifianakis, who is not kidding when he says (and says again) that "the future is agrarian." (Or, more critically, "the only future is agrarian.") Premiering Wednesday, which not coincidentally is Earth Day, on Netflix, the six-part series spotlights the cultivation or gathering of plants one eats, rather than which just look pretty, with episodes on apples, tomatoes, root vegetables, corn, foraging and compost. "Food," says the host. "From what I hear, you have to have it."

Galifianakis, who lives remotely in British Columbia and has been gardening "off and on" for 25 years, is no Monty Don. He's here as a student himself; meeting with growers of an independent sort — the series was shot on Vancouver Island — on their charmingly rustic farms, seeking their guidance, tasting their wares. He's genuinely sincere about the subject, even if he'll top a comment like, "I want to die in a garden," with "The Olive Garden — I want to overdose on breadsticks," as if he can't resist such low-hanging fruit. Each episode includes time-lapse photography of things growing, short animated interludes on the history of the designated fruit, vegetable or fungus, a little science and some practical advice.("Did you know that?" I repeatedly asked my gardening wife and mostly she did, but sometimes she did not.)

I recognize that it's a dereliction of cultural duty never to have seen any of the "Hangover" movies, the work that will likely lead Galifianakis' obituary, may it be long in coming. But I have often had cause to celebrate his television appearances: his triple act with Jason Schwartzman and Ted Danson in the hangout mystery "Bored to Death"; his twin roles in the sad-clown story "Baskets"; as an acerbic version of himself in "Only Murders in the Building." His disaffected tech titan in "The Audacity," now on AMC, is one of that series' more enjoyable aspects. The brilliantly passive-aggressive faux talk show "Between Two Ferns with Zach Galifianakis" was web-based, but that's defined as TV in my dictionary. In its idiosyncratic way, "This Is a Gardening Show" ranks among them.

The characters Galifianakis plays may be disappointed, bitter, contemptuous, jealous or self-disgusted (he describes himself here as old and decrepit, with a yellow liver), though often with an element of sweetness — a moody teddy bear on Red Bull. In the sense that he'll slip in and out of different attitudes depending on the context, or where a joke might present itself, this is a performance, too, but all in the service of something genuine, a mission: "As pessimistic as one can get these days, the gardens are hope. The Earth is our hope. Nature is our hope…. If people continue to gravitate toward learning about sustainability, I think we can see it turn. But everybody's got to pitch in."

Much of the time is spent interacting with young schoolchildren, with whom Galifianakis exhibits a deadpan playfulness — testing them on names of apple varieties (McIntosh? Sausage fingers? Diarrhea town?) or asking what a potato resembles. (Galifianakis: "Does this look like anyone to you? Ryan Reynolds? ... Kind of bland and plain. Nothing going on." Of course, this is not how Galifianakis actually feels about potatoes.) For the benefit of the adults at home, he lobs remarks over the kids' heads, with references to Ukrainian politician Yulia Tymoshenko, Benjamin Netanyahu (as a knock-knock joke), Burning Man and "The Aristocrats."

But mostly, he meets them where they are.

Galifianakis to Lucas, a child: "My kids love mushrooms. Do you have children?"

Lucas: "Mmm-hmm."

Galifianakis: "You do? You have children?"

Lucas: "Yes."

Galifianakis: "How many kids do you have?"

Lucas: "I don't know. Eleven."

Galifianakis: "Well, I guess. You look good for your age. How old are you?"

Lucas: "Five and a half. I'm almost turning 6."

Galifianakis: "Oh, you're almost turning 6. OK. Then that makes sense.… What are the names of your 11 children?"

Lucas: "I forget all their names."

Galifianakis (ruefully, looking away): "Yeah, just like my mom."

It's enlightening, it's heartfelt. Episodes run about 15 minutes, and while YouTube is full of videos of comparable length where you can learn all about corn and apples and tomatoes, visit with farmers, hear jokes or find children being adorable, you'll never find it all in such a delightful single package.

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'THIS IS A GARDENING SHOW'

Rating: TV-14

How to watch: Netflix

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