Garrisons’ yard displays include musical guest ‘Will-hay Nelson’

Shirley Garrison and son Heath Garrison have once again transformed the lawn around the Isabella-area home where Shirley lives with her husband, Ronnie Garrison, into an eye-catching and traffic-stopping seasonal fall display. Even though their home on Lake Road 619, off HH south of Isabella, is well off the beaten track, “You would not believe how many cars come by and stop,” Shirley said Monday. “And a lot of them take pictures.”

This year’s fall display is especially remarkable at night, when a huge round hay-bale “Will-hay Nelson” and its light-trimmed guitar are illuminated, and Willie Nelson music plays on the sound system.

Shirley enjoys building innovative landscaping designs at their home with Ronnie’s help but says their son, Health, who lives in Branson, is the creative force behind the memorable displays. The Garrisons also have another son, Shawn, who lives in Isabella with his wife, Jenni; they have two sons, Ryan and Tyler. 

This year, as they were considering fall decorating ideas, they found a cartoon character named “Will-hay” on the internet. That sparked the idea of creating their own Willie-Nelson-inspired yard-art character from a round hay bale. A tractor settled the round bale onto a pedestal of square bales cleverly trimmed with colorful pumpkins, gourds and mums. Shirley bought “a lot of gray material,” she said, and they draped it over the hay bale to create the aging music star’s long, gray hair. They cut the side-hanging fabric into strips that they wove into Nelson’s long, trademark braids. Then Heath used spray paint to create Will-hay Nelson’s smiling face accented by a red headband. 

The musical attraction is one of several creative fall displays in the Garrisons’ yard assembled from more mums, pumpkins and hay bales in colorful groupings outfitted with scarecrows, signs, sunflowers, an old window frame and assorted other eye-catchers. There’s also a large tiered planter featuring a display of blooming flowers and striking greenery including huge “elephant ear” plants and, in its center, a tall banana tree. 

Ozark County Times

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