This treasured ETV Classic gives us a perfect chance to see Pearl Fryar in action, doing the things that he did best. He observed "when you do something well, it speaks for itself. If what makes a difference in life is the people you made a difference in their lives. Love is the most powerful word in the English language."
Pearl talks about his early years, and the impetus to do something creative later in his life. By 1990, he had succeeded to the point that he had created his own style and topiary techniques, largely only because Bishopville wouldn't come outside of the city limits and award him with "Garden of the Month." As he described it, his training in topiary had been a two-minute lesson at a plant nursery and a two-hour art appreciation class.
Jean Grosser, Professor of Art at Coker College observed that Pearl learned what was possible by doing it, and he didn’t perceive the limitations that he might have experienced in topiary by not going by the book. In 2002, he became Artist in Residence at Coker College. He worked with the students on the design for the garden and sculptures, and over the years, the gardens grew, even as the students did. In this documentary, we see the fruits of their labors and get to cherish Pearl's very special gifts.
Side Notes
- Pearl Fryar, Iconic Topiary Artist has died at 86.
- Pearl Fryar's Living Legacy Continues - Pearl Fryar’s medium is plants. His message is crystal clear even among his forest of swaying green creatures, his topiary garden spread across three acres in Bishopville, South Carolina. Now in his eighties, Fryar planted his garden over decades and opened it to the public in the 1980s.
- June 27 was recognized as Pearl Fryar Day by the South Carolina General Assembly for his “humanitarian ideals and artistic influence” (1998)
- Elizabeth O’Neill Verner Governor’s Award for the Arts (2013)
- Award of Excellence - National Garden Clubs Inc. (2017) - "My goal when I started my garden was to win Yard of the Month," Fryar said chuckling. The chuckles come because the 77-year-old man with no gardening experience was awarded the Award of Excellence, the National Garden Clubs' highest honor.
- Pearl Fryar's Topiary Oasis in Rural South Carolina.
