Topiary in Monochrome

I've discussed these odd but wonderful Southern California yard creations before. I think they are as much a part of the local landscape as palm trees. They have a certain Dr Seuss quality in their natural green. But don't they look dramatic and surreal in black and white?

Settings: Part 21

My daughter calls this the melting marshmallow house, so I'm sure if she played our game her scenario would also include giant graham crackers and Hershey bars. What do you think, brilliant readers? If this were the setting for a movie, what would happen here?

Staging

So, I was wandering around in the hills the other day, hoping to discover something interesting to photograph. I happened upon this scene -- teal stucco, what looks like fossilized topiary -- and I thought, well, it's just not quite right, it needs something else...

Then the bird landed. Snap! Et, voila...

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?

Cutting Remarks

I've posted before about the common yet curious abundance of topiary in this part of the world. Fellow San Gabriel Valley blogger Keith at Gem City Images joined me in a bit of a competition to see who could find the most outrageous example. (I think it was a toss up!)

Which brings us to this odd arrangement in front of bank offices on Fair Oaks. I'm still trying to figure it out ... did a landscape designer arrange this seemingly random pattern? Were bushes already there when an over-zealous gardener decided to get creative? Is this some kind of joke with hedge fund managers? Does this spell something in braille? Morse Code?

Maybe I'm weird, but I just love this stuff.

Winter's Palette

I took this shot a couple of weeks ago, before the storms rolled in. I believe those gorgeous trees are flowering pears. I always associate them with February, and the unforgettable scent of mock orange trees. Although the mock orange tree is not as showy as others, it manages to upstage everything else that blooms with a heady fragrance that rivals the sultriest night blooming jasmine.

Cherry trees have also begun making winter blossoms. Soon, the purple jacarandas will begin to dazzle and then drop lilac petals all over the streets. By spring, the crape myrtle trees will start making flowers that will last the summer.

Take that, New England. Fall foliage is great and everything, but just look at our winter flowers!

(And just try to beat that classic San Gabriel Valley topiary tree at the end of the street...)

Caption this photo... (#3)

Well...

This one is tough and I'm feeling rather silly. How about:

Archaeologists believe they may have discovered the remains of an ancient temple of the Goddess of San Gabriel Valley Topiary.

Nah, that's not quite right. Anyone else have a better caption?

Illuminated Path

I might never have noticed this sidewalk entrance to the apartments at 1616 Fair Oaks during the day ... but look at the enchanting way it glows in the night. (Nice bit of San Gabriel Valley topiary, too!)

1616 has such a nice ring to it, doesn't it? I'm sure there's a great short story here. Or a love song. Or TV series about time travel. Or a poem about flowers and curving steps and math...

Or maybe it's just a nifty address with a lovely entryway.

Tropical British Isles?

I've included several posts featuring South Pasadena's Victorian and Craftsman homes. Here is an example of one of the more incongruous styles of architecture found here -- and around the greater Los Angeles area. Is it just me, or does a proper English country house look a little bit weird surrounded by all those palms? In a spec meeting, I'd sum this up as Wuthering Heights: Pacific Coast Edition.

(For those of you paying attention... is that an excellent example of San Gabriel Valley topiary, or what?!)

Baranger Studios

This is one of my favorite buildings in South Pas. Built in 1925, it was the home of Baranger Studios -- makers of delightful electric motion displays for jewelry stores. What were electric motion displays? Imagine a blend of dollhouse, small gauge train set and highly detailed music box complete with a dancing ballerina. Throw in some clever generic jewelry marketing slogans prominently featured in the design and you get the idea. These animated wonders were produced from 1925 to 1959, but they were never sold. Instead, jewelers all over the country leased them on a monthly basis. The studios designed 169 different models, often in the art deco style, and produced only 30 of each type. Each motion display had a different theme – from fairy tale to western motif, from zooming rocket ships to dancing honeymooners. Jewelers would rent one display for a month, and then rotate it out for another model.

Those were the days… instead of just looking through a sterile glass case at a few baubles on black velvet you would have been treated to something whimsical like this.

From engineering to shipping, all means of motion display creation and distribution were housed under this one small roof. The company stopped production in the late 1950s, but continued to rent existing motion displays to jewelers until 1977 when they went out of business. Today, the building is home to Stanislawski and Company, Certified Public Accountants.

(And to stay in the tradition of yesterday's post... check out the topiary!)

Living Sculpture

Keith's post over at Gem City Images inspired me to present this photo. Say hello to a particularly whimsical Los Angeles area phenomenon: over-sculpted geometric yard topiary! When I moved to LA many years ago I was charmed and amused by the rampant use of hedge trimmers in neighborhoods all over the region. You might have noticed some gallant attempts at shrub artistry in this recent post, too.

My daughter calls these dandy boxwoods on El Centro "the big green teacups." Edward Scissorhands, eat your heart out...