Working side by side nearly every day, this small group of hard-working gardeners, from all over the world and all walks of life, respect, admire and even protect each other in their common endeavor. With plots almost 1,000 square feet each, there is always a lot to do, both at the beginning of the season in preparing the soil and at the height of the season when all the tomatoes ripen at once.

But, like an Amish barn-raising, these gardeners not only take care of their own individual plots, but they are happy to help tend everyone else's, too.

The idea of a community garden got its start in Saratoga about 20 years ago. But according to Diane Carnekie of the city parks maintenance division, it's not exactly clear how the land became available for the garden. It is believed to have once been a raspberry patch, perhaps belonging to a farmer who subsequently donated the land to the community. Once the particulars were arranged and the program developed, letters were mailed to Saratoga residents offering plots for use on a year-to-year basis for a nominal fee, on a first-come, first-served basis. A waiting list quickly developed and exists to this day.

While there are no original plot holders from the inception of the program, some folks have been in the program for many years. Most of them are retired citizens who plan to garden as long as good health holds out. For instance, Preston Burlingham—a tall, tan, and physically fit gentleman—has been a plot holder for more than eight years and has only good things to say about the program.

"I like the fine quality of people, the benefits of fresh air and exercise, and good, productive work," he says. He truly enjoys the camaraderie among his fellow gardeners, many of whom he's known for years.

The majority of plot holders renew their rentals every year, but from time-to-time someone new joins the bunch and is quickly made to feel welcome and comfortable.

Plot holders must adhere to a two-page list of 15 rules and regulations for the program, issued by the city of Saratoga, parks maintenance division. These rules cover everything from pesticides, trellis height, and watering techniques to the consequences of noncompliance.

Speaking for the group, Burlingham and his fellow gardener, Beverly Hargis, a renter for more than five years, strongly emphasize how fortunate they all are to be able to work this land for such a small yearly fee plus water usage (each plot holder paid approximately $115 in 2002) and are careful the opportunity is not taken for granted.

The plot holders cannot stress enough how well everyone works together. It is a mutual attraction—their connection to nature and a connection with other living things—that brings them together.

Some of the countries they represent include Taiwan, China, Japan, Russia, and the Czech Republic. Even those who speak little or no English are included in discussions on every topic of gardening imaginable. They communicate through various expressions and gestures, body and sign language, and, of course, lots of nods and smiles.

Valentina, a woman from Russia, speaks very little English, but she did manage to communicate how everyone works together as one big family. When she happened to see a fellow gardener—Moisey Tuger from Moscow—on his way out, she called him over and insisted that he share the contents of the large paper bag he was carrying. It looked to be about a hundred small- to medium-sized tomatoes in the bag, freshly picked and perfectly ripened. When asked what he intended to do with all of them, he explained, with help from Valentina, that they were destined for sauces and salads to share with his adult children.

Tuger spoke almost no English whatsoever, but still offered to provide a tour of his plot, easily naming every item growing in his garden, including a healthy crop of brussel sprouts; cherry, plum, and apricot trees; tomatoes; cucumbers; and rows of large, plump raspberries, which were deliciously sweet. He also communicated that last spring he planted flowers in the flower boxes that were lined up against the perimeter fence, just to have something beautiful to see from both inside and outside the garden.

In fact, all types of colorful flowers were growing in just about every plot. Flowers, they say, were planted not only for pollination purposes, but also to simply add beauty to the whole area.

There are no flowers in the first plot near the garden's entrance, though its beauty is not to be denied. It belongs to a man originally from Taiwan who arrives by bicycle each day. His plot is filled with several exotic and very hearty-looking greens, beans, and onions. But it is the way it is laid out that catches the eye. The front of his plot begins in an acute angle, gradually squaring off in the back. What's remarkable is that the vegetables are planted by height to appeal aesthetically to the observer.

The plot behind his belongs to a man from China, and it is neat, trim, deliberately and precisely arranged, and immaculately maintained. Perhaps it is a reflection of the owner himself who, it was mentioned, marched with the former Chinese military and political leader Chiang Kai-shek.

While most of the plots were kept tidy, throughout the area were mismatched chairs placed haphazardly under shade trees and loosely grouped together under a grape arbor in a casual way to promote conversation during rest periods from the hot sun.

The gardeners depend on one another in many ways while inside the fence. Whenever problems arise, they try to solve it collectively. For instance, Burlingham mentioned some security problems and vandalism in the past.

"People would come over the fence at night and just destroy stuff, plants and equipment, for no reason," he said.

To deal with the problem immediately, a few of the gardeners got together and patrolled the grounds periodically at night to ward off intruders.

But aside from minor vandalism in the past, the gardeners' biggest problems these days are the gophers, raccoons, lizards, and occasionally rats that enjoy the garden, too. To Hargis they are a nuisance, but better than the deer that devastate her attempts at gardening behind her home in the foothills.

The group's members also support each other in other areas as well. If plot holders want to go on vacation, no problem. They need only ask their garden neighbor to water their section during their absence. They also help one another before every planting season in turning over and preparing the soil, an extremely important but time-consuming job.

Burlingham, who drives a heavy-duty truck, offers to buy and deliver the hundreds of bags of manure and chicken meal needed to prepare the poor-quality soil. Ten to 20 bags of manure are needed for each plot, which represents a tremendous amount of hauling. This donation of time and labor is not lost on Hargis or Valentina. They are very grateful for Burlingham's help and, sometimes, daily assistance to them and others in the group.

"He's just wonderful," Hargis says of Burlingham. "He really does so much for others. He even has a tractor and plows the ground for everyone!"

But Burlingham waves aside the idea that he is the point person, much less the self-imposed leader of the group. "There is no one leader," he says. "No one's in charge. We all work together as equals."

The size of the entire, asymmetrically shaped community garden is roughly a half acre, which is divided into 17 plots ranging in size from the smallest at 560 square feet to the largest at approximately 1,200 square feet. The plots are clearly delineated by two-foot stakes at each of their corners.

This is one community garden that is active year-round. After the tomatoes and vegetables have been harvested, it will be time to get ready for the next season. The fall season brings melons, squashes, and other hearty vegetables and flowers. In anticipation of autumn, Burlingham's plot has a long, rectangular patch of several types of chrysanthemums that are carefully labeled. "When they're all in bloom," he says proudly, "they're just beautiful." And what does he do with them all? He sweeps his arms out and smiles. "Give 'em away!" he says.

With all the fresh fruit and produce harvested all year-round, one would think there would be a great opportunity for some extra income in selling to the public, via farm stand or farmers market. But as it strictly states in the rules and regulations: "Produce from the gardens is to be used for individual consumption and not as a commercial commodity." So most of the plot holders end up distributing a lot of their produce in many different ways.

First of all, they give to each other. Since no two plots are the same, someone else is surely growing something new or different. It is in this way that gardens change from year to year and continue to be interesting.

Next they share with family and friends, and even friends of friends. Extra produce is then shared with the community. Some give to retirement centers, shelters, church groups, and other charities that appreciate seasonal produce.

Throughout the garden are small fruit trees here and there, but one section along the back perimeter fence is surprisingly and exclusively dedicated to mature fruit trees such as apricot, peaches, pears, apples and nectarines. Hargis explained that the gentleman who tends the plot has found it easier to take care of trees than vegetables, "and he is careful to keep them pruned so the pathways are clear." All other plots have a variety of flowers, herbs, and vegetables, including patches of towering cornstalks and sunflowers.

At first glance, this fenced-in area appears to be just one very large garden, but each plot within is carefully and clearly marked off with stakes and walkways are clear. And each plot is as different as the gardener who planted it.