April is National Garden Month and the National Gardening Association (NGA) suggests that gardeners everywhere plant Unity Gardens.

First there were Liberty Gardens, conceived during World War I. World War II ushered in the Victory Garden. Both of these campaigns were promoted by the federal government with the dual purpose of urging people to be self-sufficient during a time when resources were scarce, and to rally citizens in patriotic activity. "Now is the time for unity," explains Valerie Kelsey, president of the nonprofit association, NGA. "In these times of conflict and uncertainty, we know that gardening has power. The idea is to use your garden or the act of gardening to connect with others."

On one level, a Unity Garden expresses the needs we share as human beings; the need for food, fresh air, exercise, and healing. It also embodies how gardens satisfy our impulses to be productive to nurture living things, and to leave a healthy and beautiful legacy - something about which to be proud. On a deeper level, it symbolizes our desire to make the world a better place by coming together.

What does a Unity Garden look like? It's less about design, and more about attitude. It includes all cultural and political interests and crosses over all social and religious boundaries. Gardening is all-inclusive.

The main idea is to find a way to share with others what is important to you about gardening: share plants from your garden with a neighbor; add an extra row in your vegetable garden for a food shelf; plant a butterfly garden with an afterschool program; invite some kids in from the neighborhood to enjoy a garden tea party; join with a group and plant flowers in a vacant lot. Just unite with someone to plant something.

For more ideas on how to connect through your Unity Garden, visit "101 Ways to Celebrate" at the national Garden Month Web site: www.garden.org. Send in your ideas and post them on the garden message board.