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Clear skies. Low 48F. Winds W at 10 to 15 mph.
A sculpted hedge of yaupon holly is seen in Pearl Fryar's Garden. Tony Bertauski/Provided
A sculpted hedge of yaupon holly is seen in Pearl Fryar's Garden. Tony Bertauski/Provided
A sculpted hedge of yaupon holly is seen in Pearl Fryar's Garden. Tony Bertauski/Provided
Mike Gibson discusses topiary techniques in Pearl Fryar's Garden. Yaupon holly bushes adapt well to all types of pruning, making them a great plant for beginner topiary artists. Tony Bertauski/Provided
Pearl Fryar arrived to give a little shape-up to one of the entrances to his Bishopville topiary garden on Tuesday, June 13, 2017. File/Wade Spees/Staff
A sculpted hedge of yaupon holly is seen in Pearl Fryar's Garden. Tony Bertauski/Provided
A sculpted hedge of yaupon holly is seen in Pearl Fryar's Garden. Tony Bertauski/Provided
A sculpted hedge of yaupon holly is seen in Pearl Fryar's Garden. Tony Bertauski/Provided
Pearl Fryar arrived to give a little shape-up to one of the entrances to his Bishopville topiary garden on Tuesday, June 13, 2017. File/Wade Spees/Staff
I went on a topiary quest.
Topiary is the art of plant sculpting. There are various techniques, some that involve metal frames packed with moss, but I was interested in shaping trees and shrubs. If you’re thinking "Edward Scissorhands," you’re not far off. You’ve probably seen junipers carved into corkscrews, but I wanted something more creative. I traveled a few hours to the small town of Bishopville to pay a visit to Pearl Fryar’s Garden.
Pearl Fryar started “cutting up bushes,” as he sometimes puts it, in 1984. Self-taught and driven by artistic passion, he transformed his 3-acre yard into a topiary attraction. Three words are outlined in the middle of the garden that capture his essence and the meaning of his work: love, peace and goodwill. He’s become more than a local celebrity. His garden attracts visitors from across the country, and his work has been featured in several publications. In 2006, the film “A Man Named Pearl” documented his craft and dedication to his community.
Pearl doesn’t wield the gas-powered shears like he’s done in the past. If you visit the garden, you’re more likely to see the topiary artist in residence, Mike Gibson. Affable and equally as passionate about topiary art as Pearl, Mike describes his work as property art. He relocated from Ohio, where he’d been transforming ordinary plants into living art since he was a teenager. He began making annual trips to Pearl’s garden in 2016, proposed to his wife in the garden in 2018, and was a contestant in HGTV’s reality show "Clipped" that featured topiary artists.
Mike Gibson discusses topiary techniques in Pearl Fryar's Garden. Yaupon holly bushes adapt well to all types of pruning, making them a great plant for beginner topiary artists. Tony Bertauski/Provided
In the spirit of Edward Scissorhands, Mike is ambidextrous, shaping topiaries with a pair of hand pruners in each hand. Since arriving at Pearl’s garden last May, he more often employs the gas-powered shears. Pearl’s technique turns foundation shrubs such as yaupon hollies into swirling, abstract art. It’s a unique style with geometric edges that is recognized as “a Pearl Fryar.” Mike described how Pearl would always shear in the same direction to develop a consistent direction of growth. It’s like combing your hair. If you go in a different direction, it won’t look the same.
Pearl’s garden is more than just shearing. Mike describes how Pearl used straps, zip ties or other restraints to manipulate branches. He would bind tree trunks to eventually become grafted together. For instance, a Leyland cypress starts off with two trunks and merges into one. The beauty of living art is how it takes years to see a work to fruition.
Most of us don’t know a Pearl Fryar or Mike Gibson to turn our yards into topiary displays, but we can do it ourselves. It starts with a few simple steps. The first one is to use an easy plant. Although almost anything can be turned into a topiary, some species are more adaptable than others.
In the Lowcountry, dwarf yaupon hollies are an excellent choice. It’s small, extremely hardy and tolerant of any type of pruning. Since it’s a popular shrub, it’s likely you already have one in your yard. Other good options include boxwood, junipers and arborvitaes. Hollywood juniper is an excellent large specimen. Even without pruning, it develops a unique, windswept form. The foliage has a softer appearance than most other junipers.
Hand pruners can be used to remove secondary branches to form pom-poms, corkscrews, or whatever shape you envision. Zip ties can be used to pull branches into different positions. Over time, a branch will assume its new direction without restraint.
Shears, or hedge trimmers, are great for shaping. You’ll need to shear every four to six weeks to maintain the form and encourage dense growth. Start by creating simple shapes. If you research Pearl’s techniques, you’ll identify ways to selectively prune branches for that living sculpture appearance.
For more information on Fryar, visit pearlfryargarden.org. To book a topiary workshop with Gibson, visit www.gibsontopiary.com.
Tony Bertauski is a horticulture instructor at Trident Technical College. To give feedback, e-mail him at tony.bertauski@tridenttech.edu.
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