The Atlas Obscura Podcast Planting Seeds for the Future
Feb 9, 2026
Manolo Morales, a producer who tells Hattie Carthen’s story — a Bed-Stuy organizer who planted trees to transform her block. Jerome Campbell, a storyteller who profiles Pearl Fryer — a self-taught gardener who turned rejected shrubs into celebrated abstract topiary. They explore how two people used plants and community action to reshape neighborhoods and create lasting local landmarks.
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From Rejected Buyer To Topiary Artist
- Pearl Fryer transformed a three-acre property by rescuing malnourished nursery plants and developing a unique abstract topiary style.
- He entered the local garden competition to force inclusion and later won awards including the National Gardening Club's Award of Excellence.
Use Excellence To Force Inclusion
- When excluded from civic activities, use excellence to create leverage and demand inclusion.
- Fryer built a yard so remarkable that the garden club allowed him to compete and he won Yard of the Month.
Improvisation As Artistic Method
- Fryer developed a free-form topiary approach that rejects traditional geometric or figurative shapes.
- His process emphasized improvisation: he cut until the plant revealed its hidden form.