This week, the Sage and Snow Garden Club awarded Laurie and Mike McClain at 7 Faler Lane near Pinedale its coveted Garden of Beauty Award. The McClains enjoy viewing sandhill cranes, moose and deer from their spacious yard. But, they have fenced off a large part of their back yard to create a spectacular vegetable garden with raised beds and a small greenhouse. To encourage bee visitors, Laurie has planted pollinator-friendly sunflowers, cosmos, nasturtiums, marigolds, German chamomile and borage, all of which were started from seed indoors in April. In raised beds, she grows kohlrabi, spinach, radishes, onions, turnips, lettuce, dill, garlic, potatoes, broccoli, cauliflower, peas, carrots, raspberries and asparagus. The greenhouse is overflowing with tomatoes, cucumbers, beans, spaghetti squash, yellow summer squash, peppers and more sunflowers and marigolds. When touring gardens, the Sage and Snow crew is always astounded with the ingenuity and resourcefulness of Sublette County gardeners. A neighbor was going to demolish an old greenhouse and the McClains rescued it, reinforced it and added a new wing. We also noticed Laurie’s spaghetti squash, which is not a typical greenhouse plant cultivated by local gardeners. Laurie is also experimenting with growing elderberry in the garden, a popular medicinal shrub that is native to our area but is difficult to cultivate in a garden. The bees love the beautiful white flowers and the birds love the berries. The McClain’s garden is a true labor of love and a quiet respite from our busy world.