the altered garden of Bishopville South Carolina

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King Louis the XIV had his garden at Versailles, and Pearl Fryar has his Topiary Garden.

Paris France and Bishopville South Carolina are about as opposite as you could imagine. And the motives behind creating gardens such as these, are as different as those two men. But wandering through this little altered garden was as awe inspiring as the hundreds of acres of carved foliage in Versailles. Of course, not as grand, and not as famous, but impressive.

Pearl Fryar has been pruning and clipping and watering the plants surrounding his home since 1981. The results are other worldly.

A couple of hours into a seven hour drive to spend Thanksgiving with family, we needed to step out of the car and stretch our legs. Just so happened that such a stop coincided with Mr. Fryar's neck of the woods, and we found him in his front yard, driving his little tractor. He was working on placing stepping stones, yet he spent the next hour proudly telling us how he forms the shapes that we see green and growing. Tucked here and there sculpture he has made from metal trash and junk, highlights the forms of altered shrubs. Water trickles in fountains, made of the rusty metal that he has given purpose to. He remembers which plants were taken from the trash pile, rejects of the nurserymen. Mr. Fryar turned into them into living sculpture.

Along with his horticultural persona, he has a message that he can't help but share with us. Peace Love and Goodwill is his wish - for all that take time to visit his garden. He has these words carved into the ground and awaiting warm weather flowers to bring his message in color. He has formed the letters L O V E and it is hanging as a mobile between the trees. On another sculpture, the words Love and Hate form a two-sided revolving message. Groups of school kids and garden club dames, who come to tour the garden, see his messages and take Mr. Fryar's wish to everyone they know.
And then there are the road weary families looking for a little long-distance-drive-diversion, we too will spread the word of Mr. Fryar.

here is a link to more about his garden

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Photos

stacks of altered plants
topiaries of Mr Pearl Fryar

Pearl Fryar
the topiary gardener of Bishopville

Mr. Fryar's LOVE mobile
altered metal in his altered garden

Mr. Fryar
explaining one of his garden sculptures

street marker to the Fryar home
just off the interstate in South Carolina

Mr. Fryar and one of his altered trees
Bishopville South Carolina

fountain of his own design
made from "junk". Many of his altered trees and shrubs were tossed from the nursery.

bird house
in Pearl Fryar's Topiary Garden

obedient tree
Pearl has changed the shape of this live oak

autumn rose
in Mr Fryar's garden

Mr. Fryar's side yard
Bishopville South Carolina

love and unity
work of Mr. Fryar

hate hurts
the other side of Mr. Fryar's Love sculpture

Comments

[liliram]

Good for you to stop by that place!
To prune, cut , snip here and there and to mold and shape must require a good dose of a virtue called PATIENCE. That's some admirable work! And hey, good photos here! Thanks for sharing this.

[Brenda Paschal]

Pete's finds
It always amazes me what you can find. WOW! Love ya, Brenda