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A Man Named Pearl

Updated on July 10, 2010

There is “A Man Named Pearl”. That’s the name of the movie about this man named Pearl who is a non-assuming, 70-year-old, soft-spoken black man who sculpts topiaries on his land of three acres.

Pearl Fryar lives in the small town of Bishopville, South Carolina.

Pearl Fryar's Topiary Garden

His backyard is a topiary art gallery.

"He can tame trees like nobody's business," says a local fan. And he's right! Pearl Fryar's gigantic and abstract sculptures are treasures on any king’s lawn!

Folks from all the world over visit Pearl Fryar's topiary garden.

Originally Pearl was unsuccessful at house-hunting. He was told that he was unwelcome because, "Black people don't keep up their yards." Today his neighbors feel a bit obligated to maintain their lawns and many are inspired to create their own topiaries.

The street where he lives looks like Edward Scissorhands got carried away.

Fryar was thought to be a bit “off” at first. He retrieved plants out of a nursery's trash pile and turned “trash”  "elegantly abstract" art.

Pearl Fryar had no formal training in topiary art.

Pearl goes against traditional standard horticulture wisdom for plants. He doesn’t use sprays or fertilizers to protect plants. He doesn’t have a watering system, opting instead to dig trenches around the plants that collect rainwater. “Think of the forest. Everything grows and the forest never waters, sprays, or fertilizes. It has a natural organic recycling process and it works for me.”

Pearl has extensive awards such as exhibiting his work in the permanent collection of the South CarolinaStateMuseum, in Columbia, SC. He was named nationally for his exceptional garden by the Preservation Project of the Garden Conservancy.

Pearl, however, has a new mission: “developing programs that help the C-minus student who doesn’t test well and has low self-esteem. My program will help them discover what they are good at and what they can achieve through hard work.”

A_Man_Named_Pearl_Trailer.mov

Pearl lectures extensively in public schools, colleges, and church groups

At the local Waffle House there is some topiary by the artist named Pearl. Pearl eats for free. There’s a “Pearl breakfast” on the menu.

Pearl has worked hard until retirement. And then- he keeps right on working!

He is Mr. Topiary Extraordinaire!


Pearl Fryar is king with a fitting regal garden!


Pearl preaches the gospel of love, peace, and goodwill from his home and his garden.

Pearl's Garden and Bishopville, SC are "almost" at the intersection of I-20 and I-95.

A Man Named Pearl

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