In the early 1970s Jayne Haynes came to Fountain Hills as a transplant from Ohio. She had an innate interest in gardening and found the desert flora fascinating.
Haynes organized other horticultural enthusiasts to form the Fountain Hills Green Branch Garden Club. They approached McCulloch Corp., the primary developer for Fountain Hills about the possibility of setting aside some land as a desert preserve.
Working with Bill Fisher, the general manager and project manager for the development at the time, there were five potential locations around the community identified for the garden. The location in Emerald Wash along Fountain Hills Boulevard near Kingstree Boulevard was selected.
