Pearl Fryar facts for kids

Pearl Fryar (born December 4, 1939) is an amazing American artist. He creates incredible living sculptures from plants. He is famous for his unique topiary garden in Bishopville, South Carolina.

Pearl Fryar's Life Story

Pearl Fryar's amazing garden

Pearl Fryar was born on December 4, 1939, in Clinton, North Carolina. His family farmed the land. In the late 1950s, he went to North Carolina Central University in Durham. He served in the military and was part of the Korean War.

After leaving the military, Pearl moved to Queens, New York. In 1975, he started working as an engineer at a Coca-Cola factory in Bishopville. He worked there until he retired in 2006.

Creating His Garden

Pearl wanted to buy a home inside Bishopville. However, some people did not think he would take care of his property. So, he built his home on the edge of town instead. He started working in his yard to show everyone they were wrong. He used "throwaway" plants that nurseries were going to get rid of. In 1985, his hard work paid off when he won 'Yard of the Month'.

Around 1988, Pearl began trimming the evergreen plants in his yard. He shaped them into unusual forms. He used plants like boxwood and yew that were already there. He also added holly, fir, and loblolly pine. His living sculptures are amazing works of art and horticulture (plant care). Pearl Fryar and his garden are now known all over the world. Many newspapers, magazines, and TV shows have featured his work.

In 2006, a movie called A Man Named Pearl was made about his art. Scott Galloway and Brent Pierson produced it.

The Pearl Fryar Topiary Garden

A "fishbone" tree sculpture

Pearl's garden shows how positive thinking and hard work can create amazing things. It also spreads his message of "love, peace, and goodwill." Today, the Pearl Fryar Topiary Garden brings visitors from all over the world. People who visit the garden find it beautiful, fun, and inspiring.

Pearl's garden has over 400 different plants. It also includes sculptures made from "junk art" (art made from recycled materials). Pearl's plant sculptures are different from traditional topiary. They are seen as abstract, creative, and free-form.

Keeping the Garden Alive

In 2007, a group called Friends of Pearl Fryar Topiary Garden teamed up with the Garden Conservancy. They worked with Pearl Fryar to help keep his garden beautiful. They also wanted to share Pearl's message of hope. In 2008, Pearl and the Friends group created a scholarship. It helped students who had lower grades. This non-profit group ended in 2018.

In 2021, another topiary artist named Mike Gibson started taking care of the garden. Mike first met Pearl in 2016. He began helping because Pearl's health was not as good, and due to the COVID-19 pandemic. A grant of $50,000 helps pay for Mike's work. This grant came after Jane Przybysz noticed the garden needed more care. She is the Executive Director at the McKissick Museum in Columbia.

From 2020 to 2022, a new non-profit group was started. It is called The Pearl Fryar Topiary Garden, Inc. This group works to protect Pearl Fryar's amazing art and garden for the future.

Awards and Special Recognitions

Pearl Fryar has received many awards for his unique art:

• He worked with Philip Simmons on "The Heart Garden" for the Spoleto Festival USA in 1997.
• June 27 was named Pearl Fryar Day by the South Carolina General Assembly in 1998. This was to honor his "humanitarian ideals and artistic influence."
• He received the Elizabeth O’Neill Verner Governor’s Award for the Arts in 2013.
• He won an Award of Excellence from National Garden Clubs Inc. in 2017.