Topiary Garden

My visit to Columbus, Ohio last week provided me with the time to visit the Topiary Garden I missed the last time because I went to see the Bodies Exhibit. It is in downtown Columbus on the grounds of the School for Deaf. It was a very pretty park. The Topiary Garden is a replication of a famous painting--Sunday Afternoon on thee Isle of la Grande Jatte by Georgew Suerat. There is a bronze relief of the painting at the front of the park and when you stand there it is just amazing that the Topiary figures are such perfect replicas. I did learn something about this topiary art. I had just figured the shrubs were cut to shape by very talented shrub trimmers....kinda like Edward Scissorhands. Actually the shapes are created by a metal frame over the shrub and as the shrub grows it is trimmed to follow the metal shape. Some of the larger ones at the Topiary Garden haven't grown completely into their frame.

As I walked into the garden I saw a man standing by a tree looking at something intently. I thought there was something moving on the tree trunk and initially thought it was a squirrel or some such animal. Then I had the thought that a snake was in the tree, but never did really see one. I went on to the Topiary Garden. When I was leaving, I again walked down the path by the same fellow and by then, he had this huge snake drapped around his neck. It hung to his waist on one side and then bridged to the branch in the tree on the other side. I guess just never thought that while some people take their dogs to the park, others take their snakes. As I walked on toward the exit, there was an older gentleman sitting on a park bench and I said, "Keep an eye out for that pet snake over there." He said, "Snake? There's a snake" And jumped up from the bench heading for the exit. "I'm terrified of snakes, Thank you so much, A snake? ?" And he kept muttering as he escaped. I had no idea I was going to ruin his visit to the park!!