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Garden of Beauty – Chris Thomas & Roy Barney

The final Garden of Beauty Award from the Sage and Snow Garden Club goes to Chris Thomas and Roy Barney, 96 Willow Lake Road, near Pinedale. Chris and Roy have truly preserved the natural beauty in their spacious yard next to Pine Creek. Pine, spruce, willow, and aspen trees dominate the landscape, but wild currants, raspberries, gooseberries, strawberries, roses, fireweed, and sagebrush show up throughout the landscape. What is really interesting and innovative about Chris and Roy’s yard is their collection of iron sculptures scattered among the trees and open spaces. Most of the sculptures are "found art" that they have collected from estate sales and antique shops, but Roy is a talented metal artist and has created some large and impressive pieces on display, as well. He built their patio tables from reused pieces of iron, and Chris adorned the patio with many containers of beautiful white and purple petunias. Roy loves the shapes created by trees that have outgrown their productive lives and uses the interesting shapes of the branches to display his collection of bird houses and old chandeliers. He has been known to screw a fallen branch back in place to preserve the natural shape of the tree. He sometimes raises fallen trees and secures them in place to honor and appreciate the old and the thriving trees in the landscape. Chris collects old metal bed frames and creates sitting areas so that the visitor immediately feels at home. We saved Chris and Roy’s beautiful yard as the "grand finale" of the Garden of Beauty Award season because it is like no other that we’ve ever found.

The Sage and Snow Garden of Beauty Committee, Natalie Sorenson, Carol Grimes, Dorothy Fornstrom, Marlene Johnston, Arlinda McLaughlin, and Al and Kathie Tabatsky, have enjoyed scouring the neighborhoods in search of unique gardens to share with the public, and we encourage other folks to let us know if they find a beautiful garden that deserves recognition. We are already making a list for next year, so contact Arlinda McLaughlin at 307-231-9402 if you have a suggestion for us.