This prime example of San Gabriel Valley topiary always catches my eye. I can't quite figure out what is happening with that front downward sloping hedge. Do you think the curving shapes here were intentional, or did a gardener simply slip with the electric trimmers one day and decide to make it an installation?
Wednesday, July 29, 2009
Shape Shifting
This prime example of San Gabriel Valley topiary always catches my eye. I can't quite figure out what is happening with that front downward sloping hedge. Do you think the curving shapes here were intentional, or did a gardener simply slip with the electric trimmers one day and decide to make it an installation?
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
14 comments:
It's the new trendy in thing in lawns. Maybe the water rationing has something to do with it.
LA, the views of the natural skies above don't seem to catch your eye as much.
Just call it, "A mess o' green." No rhyme or reason. The gardener had a bad day, turned the shrubbery into ski slopes.
It's a shrub-surfing park.
Perhaps the gardner found some LSD by the water tower.
If it is one of the houses I'm thinking of, this shrub surfing park has been there a number of years.
This was, I believe, intentional, as a...feature shall we say.
It may have been started as a trend when someone slipped with the clippers, but for 40+ years, this sort of shrub have dotted the altos.
Personally, you can keep it. Boxwoods etc don't have to be perfectly square or shaped, but more neatly trimmed, like a lot of the other shrubs and trees in the pic.
What amazes me is the podocarpus tree---SO many of those were planted RIGHT next to houses in the altos--I am surprised they have not caused more trouble over the years.
Good find Laurie!
wv: kenwag...humnn, dunno if ken would wag, but I'll wag at a good photo!
I think one day a gardener with hay fever had a sneezing attack when pruning the bushes and this was the outcome. The residents liked it so he kept the shapes.
Just curious, Laurie - are you a fan of True Blood? The title of today's photo makes me wonder.
WV: ozolier - an expert on ozone and smog, similar to a sommelier but without a cup on a chain around his neck.
You fools! Wake up! Stop viewing things from only one dimension!
When viewed from ABOVE, this topiary installation spells out a message to our space brothers: "Land at night... avoid that woman with the camera... bring more epiphany pills!"
It's a well known fact, if you hire a gardener in the San Gabriel Valley YOU will have topiary.
Edward Scissor hands lives here...
I'm distracted by the image of the householder describing what he or she wanted to the gardener. I also think yakpate is onto something: we're probably viewing this from the wrong perspective and it's a message directed to the sky.
Dang! I should have climbed on the roof to see the secret message!
I actually love all the topiary around here. It's whimsical and odd -- especially those trees groomed like poodles. I have one in another shot in the distance but I haven't featured one yet. There is one in San Marino on the corner of MOnterey and Los Robles, I believe, that is exceptional!
Carry on, everyone!
Laurie---you mean the place in SM with a tree that looks like poodle parts were thrown into it?
perhaps yak's right---messages for those above.
I also suspect the sneezing, or that someone hired a Japanese gardener, then got rid of him and tried to continue to maintain the shrubs themselves...and this is what we're left with.
We were just looking at the poodle tree the other night.
I know of another poodle tree that's actually in the South Pas city limits. I see another series coming on... the topiary challenge? (I didn't say it!)
Thanks for the comments, everyone. Until tomorrow!
Oh, and DB... no True Blood for me. I'm too squeamish. But don't get me started about my guilty pleasure of the Twilight book series. Yeah, I admitted it! ;-)
Post a Comment