In March 2020, as I was starting my seeds, COVID shut down the world. Taking care of my garden took on extra significance for me that year, as it did for so many folks. That outdoor work was complemented by research into the relationships we humans have long had with seeds and with viruses. As I dug into the histories of plants and pandemics, I discovered many surprising ways the two are intertwined. I’ll share some of those co-evolutionary tales and talk about what they suggest about our interdependent world.

Margot Kelley is an author and gardener.