Pearl's Pearls

His name is Pearl Fryer. An African-American of minimal education, little income and yet a great heart and artistic eye, he has made a name for himself in the horticulture and artistic world. His medium is living plants; his art, topiary. My first exposure to topiary was outside the “It’s a Small world” ride at Disneyland. It had just opened and around the outside ere a number of still-growing animal shapes. A skeleton of wire mesh in the desired shape was still visible, revealing the jarring juxtaposition of living and non-living materials which would eventuate in a pleasing and sometimes funny shape. I remember a giraffe and Mickey Mouse (of course) being among the shapes. Mr. Fryer’s topiary is of an entirely different nature. First, they are free hand-no supporting wire to guide future trimmers. Second, he starts with a plant but with a view to the future of what that plant will look like. His are not always shapes of real things; many, if not most, are abstract art. One tree is even a cube shape. He is completely self-taught. He was catapulted into this by the comments of potential neighbors raising the concern, that, being African-American, he would not care for his yard. Now, his Bishopville SC yard is a mecca for tourists from all over the world and is the only attraction for the small “don’t-on-the-map” town. He carves his shapes with a chain saw, standing atop tall ladders to reach the sometimes-forty-foot tops of his trees. “Standing” is probably a poor word to use. “Teetering” would be more apt. His first trees were outcasts from a local nursery. Unwanted trees and other plants were discarded behind the nursery. Pearl, as everyone calls him, received permission to scavenge from this pile of soon-to-be mulch. From these he created his incredible art. How much like our god he is: He finds us on the junk heap of this world; discarded and ready to be mulched into our component elements. He plants us in just the right place, nurtures us, bends our branches just so and then takes His heavenly chain saw to us, trimming here, shaping there. When finished, a glorious shape, unlike any other, emerges. Others take note and know that a heavenly Pearl has been at work in our lives. But He never stops trimming-we continue to grow and change and He never stops the process of shaping. Unlike the earthly Pearl, the Heavenly one knows us; knows the inmost of us and with this knowing creates just the shape He wants. Step outside yourself and see the glorious green shape into which the heavenly topiary artist has formed you. He has, he is, He will be successful with you and you will be an object of admiration and pleasure now and for all eternity.