Last year, when planting season rolled around, I grabbed a couple of HVSL seed packets I’d received as a gift: Sulphur Cosmos, and State Fair Zinnia. It only took ten minutes to scatter those seeds, but I basked in their reflective glory for months. The flowers started blooming their heads off in late spring and didn’t stop until fall gave way to winter. All summer long, whenever I sat on my porch, people walking by would say “I love your flowers!”

It may seem like a trivial thing, but knowing that so many people were enjoying all those flowers cheered me up at a time when I was mourning the unexpected death of a young nephew. People are like plants; some of us flourish while others flounder. We all start out as seeds and end up as compost. Ideally, somewhere along the way we get to bloom and bear fruit, and bring some joy into this world. I rejoice every spring that I can count on the HVSL to provide me not only with the seeds I need to do that, but with their backstory, their cultural significance, and a thoughtful piece of art.

So, this year, in my nephew’s memory, I’ll scatter the seeds of the HVSL’s Marigold Medley in front of my fence. According to the packet, the marigold was the Aztec symbol of death, and it’s used to this day to decorate graves and altars. Dia de Los Meuertos festivals employ garlands and crosses made from thousands of marigold petals, and pathways are lined with the bright orange blossoms. The festivities also feature rows of cut paper banners called papel picado, which provided the inspiration for the exquisite artwork by paper cut artist Jenny Lee Fowler, which graces the cover of the pack. As the text inside notes, it’s a tribute to “the celebration of life and death which plays out in our gardens every year.” And in our lives, too.

Hudson Valley Seed Library Art Pack Slideshow

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