It was a long walk to the coast, but it would be my last chance. In the setting autumn sunlight, the dried husk of the wildflower almost looked to me like a summer bloom. The brown petals turned to dust in the milky breeze, but clasped safely in my fist was something vibrating with life and possibility. I had done this every year, but this time, the seeds would be planted much farther away from their mothers. It was a habit. No, an impulse. To keep a seed is to keep living. A new home still needs a garden.
Mickey Gast is a writer who gardens and a gardener who writes. You can find Mickey’s plant-keeping journal on GreenwithPurpose.com and on Instagram @greenwithpurpose.