Why is a Seattle community garden called a ‘P-Patch?’

From Seattle PI blogs: Why is a Seattle community garden called a ‘P-Patch?’.

I always assumed it was “public” or “participatory”. Something like that. But here’s a snippet for you:

The “P” comes from “Picardo,” the name of the family that loaned its northeast Seattle farm for a community garden on property first leased and later bought by the city.