Meet your extraordinary neighbors: Ruthe the psychic, Roosevelt the grandpa, Joan the single mom, Karl the community organizer. Witness them take over an abandoned lot in Berkeley, California, and transform it over a five-year period into a disarmingly beautiful community garden and commons area, a vibrant space alive with kids, neighborhood events, and stunning public art.



But it’s not all flowers and sunshine. Gardeners clash over the political correctness of accepting a donation of water-guzzling sod from a local nursery. Ruthe’s rabbit gets loose and eats Joan’s vegetables. A LOT IN COMMON raises the timely question: how do we build community?


The eccentric members of the Peralta Community Peace Garden root themselves into the neighborhood and into our hearts as we see them accomplish incredible feats with their volunteer spirit and plenty of elbow grease. And when one gardener is beset with a life-threatening illness, the others, once strangers, rally to her side.