Saturday, January 7, 2012

Whimsical Gardening On A Slope In San Diego


          This front yard slope in the Mission Hills neighborhood of San Diego is (I'm going to risk saying it) the most unusual in the city. 
                                

          On close inspection a visitor becomes aware that these are a series of random animal and geometrical shapes--topiary just carved into the honeysuckle growing on a steep slope at the corner of Union and Vine in San Diego.


                                 The home sits above at the right.


          I came across this garden quite by accident on the internet.  I Googled the words "topiary San Diego" because I was looking for a nursery in North County that I visited years ago and I was hoping to find it on the web.  Instead, this garden popped up and immediately I was intrigued. What? I grabbed my little camera and headed for the car. Of course I had to see it.


              Visitors liken it to cloud gazing and 'Edward Scissorhands,' to both of which I concur.


I read that the owners maintain this with the help of a gardener and that some of the shapes are based on their travels.  The garden includes pyramids, bunnies, elephants, a whale and what appears to be a person in a Mexican sombrero!


          I haven't seen this much whimsy in a garden since the last time I was in a Disney park.  As far as I could tell these are not on wire forms but appear to be cut free form, some shapes that I could make out and--well, honestly, some that I couldn't. I probably just needed more time to gaze into the shrubs. The pictures of green on green don't do justice to this creative slope.

          Unlike my photographs however, I think that the message from this garden is very clear: Don't take gardening so serious. Lighten up, people!