With the hustle and bustle of our everyday lives, have you ever wished for a place that would provide a sense of intimacy but at the same time encourage interaction with others?

What if you found such a space and it also provided you a fruitful activity? This oasis may be nearer and more readily accessible then you think.

Good fences make good neighbors and good community gardens make for good neighborhoods. The neighboring cities of Issaquah and Sammamish have many things in common, both common goals and common grounds. The common grounds in this instance are the variety of community gardens to be found both in Issaquah and Sammamish. The term community garden contains two very important all-encompassing words — those being community and garden.

Oftentimes, the community garden concept is referred to as a P-Patch. Interestingly, the original P-Patch was founded in Seattle and the P stands for the Picardo farm, where there were over 200 plots used for neighborhood gardening allotments. There also are other terms that are synonymous with community gardens such as demonstration gardens, neighborhood gardens and even urban farms.

Where are some of these common gardening grounds located? Issaquah presently has a community garden at Confluence Park; Sammamish has the Lower Commons Community Garden. Klahanie has a volunteer-operated community garden and, last but not least, the Issaquah Highlands presently has two, the Vista Gardens and the Sunset Walk Patch.

With credit due to Lord Tennyson, the approach of spring may prompt us to have our fancy lightly turn to thoughts of gardening. Some of us might see this as finding a place to relax but for others it may be a site to meet and share.

It should not be forgotten that community gardens go beyond just being a place for friendships to blossom but also a place to grow food for consumption and sharing. You might want to undertake the challenge to plant and harvest a vegetable, herb or fruit for each letter of the alphabet. This planting from A to Z could prove a little more difficult than you imagine.

The artichoke may take a considerable amount of nurturing; however, on the other hand, the zucchini will probably be overabundant.

No need to worry, as you can always share with your neighbors or contribute your extra produce to a local food bank. The Issaquah Food Bank is very appreciative of receiving donations of fresh vegetables and last year one of their patrons’ favorites was green beans.

In the future, after you have participated in a common garden adventure, you will be delighted to learn that this common ground has become a fertile sanctuary. Gardens can grow along with the community and even become that searched-for urban oasis.

Sammamish resident Larry Crandall is a retired educator who currently serves on the city’s Planning Commission.