Wind Lawn Ornament

Twin Falls woman resurrects her garden after devastating fire

On June 9, a strong wind blew from the west, rustling leaves and swaying branches in Sharon Buckle’s yard on the edge of the Snake River Canyon outside Twin Falls. The wind was much like one last July that fueled the Auger Falls Fire, which climbed the canyon walls and destroyed the garden Buckle had worked on for 11 years.

Buckle, a Master Gardener and owner of Sunrise Landscape Design, was devastated by the loss, which spared her home but killed many of her plants. She briefly grieved then got to work, giving new life to a garden that had been reduced to ash.

Buckle had put a lot of work into her garden, and often used it as a living portfolio for Sunrise Landscape clients who wanted to see what mature plants look like.

“She had an absolutely gorgeous garden,” said fellow Master Gardener Joanne Robbins.

But on July 22, a stray cigarette sparked a fire in the canyon that quickly grew to more than 1,300 acres, according to a Twin Falls Police Department incident report. (The man who allegedly tossed the cigarette, Don Garibaldi, has been charged with property damage and has a court hearing today.)

Buckle, who was home, noticed black smoke coming from the west. She heard the fire’s roar and watched as it advanced and climbed the canyon walls. She and her neighbors didn’t evacuate, opting instead to pull out garden hoses and save what they could. She credits her neighbors for keeping the flames away from her truck and RV — without their help, she said, the fire would have spread even more.

Still, the fast-moving fire came within yards of Buckle’s house. The flames took care of the plants on the north side of the yard, while the heat scorched and killed everything else in the back.

It could have been worse. Buckle, her home and most of her property came out relatively unscathed, although the heat and smoke hurt her eyes.

“I have one little burned spot on my head where I got hit by an ember,” she said.

But it was hard not to focus on the loss. Her grass, shrubs, flowers, a deck, birdhouses and lawn furniture had burned or scorched, leaving nothing but ash and bare branches.

She couldn’t grieve for long. “I’m not that patient,” she said. “I wanted it done.” Almost immediately, she began planning what her new garden would look like. She replaced sagebrush with drought-tolerant native plants, and replanted her vegetable and herb gardens and the flower beds by her house largely as they were. The difference: Everything is more spaced out.

What's Spring Without New Lawn Ornaments

Many people enjoy having an outdoor space as a sort of safe-haven from everyday tasks and responsibilities. With the start of spring around the corner this is a great opportunity to introduce new lawn ornaments in this space. Many people take the first sign of spring as a new beginning and what better way to incorporate new into your outdoor oasis than by using lawn ornaments.

Lawn ornaments can come in the form of many things from garden statues, garden plant ers, garden stakes, stepping stones, gnomes, wind spinners, & wind chimes to bird houses, feeders & baths and much more. By incorporating new lawn ornaments into your lawn and garden you are doing exactly what spring has intended. Ever wonder why you have a sense of 'out with the old, in with the new' feeling in the spring? Spring is a sign of new beginnings and it sort of gives people the urge to shop. By shopping for lawn ornaments you not only are filling your crave to shop but you have something to show for it for years to come.

Spicing up your outdoor space does not have to be expensive or a lot of work. In fact there are tons of easy to maintain, inexpensive options out there to choose from. Among these are simply decorative garden statues, garden stakes, stepping stones, wind spinners and wind chimes. These types of lawn ornaments require very little if any maintenance all season long. Lawn ornaments of this caliber of easy maintenance are often overlooked as cheap and not worth buying. This is far from the truth. A lot of garden statues are made of concrete or other heavy rock material and same with stepping stones. You can find stainless steel wind spinners that are free from rusting for life and coated with a shiny glaze to protect it in all types of weather. Wind chimes can be easily hung up or taken down in many different places. These lawn ornaments can do the trick anywhere!

If you are interested in attracting wild birds to your lawn and garden, bird houses, feeders and baths can be a very low-maintenance way of doing so. Although bird feeders require food and bird baths require water and both a weekly cleaning (give or take a few days) they can be very rewarding. These types of lawn ornaments can attract some of the most beautiful birds out there. Imagine sitting in your lawn, garden or porch and being able to witness the pleasant flattering of wings and songs the birds are chirping. These lawn ornaments that are used to allure birds in for a visit are a great way to actively participate in providing nourishment for nature. The more bird feeders made available, the more food birds can depend on in the harsh winters or other troubled seasons and the more baby birds will survive. And the circle of life is sustained!

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