Attention all gardeners, the public garden at Fountain Hills Middle School is nearly here. Groundbreaking began on Monday, Sept. 20, and the garden is set to be ready for planting in October.

Mary McDonald, the science teacher in charge of the garden, said she is very excited to be close to the finish line. After a year of fundraising, the monthlong wait feels shorter than it really is.

First, the ground where the garden will be located needs to be leveled out, irrigated and fenced. The contractors will also create a walking path from the sidewalk to the garden, with that work beginning earlier this week. After that is completed, Greenie’s Garden will supply the school with a custom-made garden bed filled with soil amendments.

McDonald and the middle school have received lots of help from the community. She thanked organizations like Noon Kiwanis, the Golden Eagle Education Foundation and many other volunteers.

“Their investment in us is what we’re literally going to be able to see,” McDonald said.

McDonald believes the garden will be ready for planting by late October at the latest. Maintenance will be the shared responsibility of the school’s Builder’s Club, life skills class and Garden Club.

The garden will serve many purposes for the middle school and community at large. When it is finished, McDonald wants to have a ribbon-cutting ceremony and welcome everybody inside.