Plantimal?

In the "what will they think of next" category, a Chicago-based artist has infused his DNA with a petunia, creating what is being referred to as a "Plantimal." The resulting plant features genetic material from both plant and human animal and looks exactly like ... a petunia. However, it reportedly has "delicate red veins."

Sometimes it feels like my DNA is co-mingled with the DNA of 'place.' While I feel little connection to the house I live in, spent many of my years in, I feel very connected to the land surrounding it. We're fortunate to have a spare 'lot' adjoining the structure I call home, and my best memories are the years spent with grandpa in his garden, tending his tomatoes or beloved peach trees. While my grandfather's green thumb doesn't appear to be in my genetic code, my connection to the earth most certainly is.

Forrest is pretty good in the garden. He lives life by the rule, "Often wrong, but never in doubt," and this applies to gardening, too. Actually, he's quite often right - he has great instincts.

My desire is to learn to better grow my own food, and maybe even preserve it, from the gardening community - Forrest, too - that's developing around me. Something my family did for years but most of my generation is so far clueless about.

The desire to mix actual human DNA with that of a plant befuddles me, however. I'm not sure why anyone felt the necessity. Maybe it's just because "they can."

(Photo: Green tomatoes, Nov., 08)