Gardens throughout the five boroughs' parks would benefit from more volunteer gardeners.

More than 50 volunteer gardeners from Blacksburg, Virginia, and the surrounding area assist at the garden throughout the year.

But the volunteer gardeners say their efforts mean they are taking ownership of their community.

This provides the volunteer gardeners the opportunity to enjoy gardening together while providing additional food pantry produce.

"And with all the cutbacks, they know volunteer gardeners are essential."

There were wide parklands around every Vulcan city and town, carefully maintained by squads of volunteer gardeners who felt a truly civilized society must spend some time among the tranquillity of growing things.

Thousands of volunteer gardeners and clean-up crews have been working to brighten streets and sidewalks with blooms and brooms.

Public toilets are available, and the park offers innovative demonstration gardens, including organic community gardening beds and areas landscaped with California native plants, all of which were created by volunteer gardeners.

One source of money for the project is the volunteer gardener - David Goldstick, a retired real estate lawyer and longtime neighborhood resident - who tends the garden beds around the monument.

Its 20,000 volunteer gardeners, working an average of 10 hours a week, provide more than $53 million in volunteer labor.