Harper S Topiary Garden Might Be The Strangest Tourist Trap Yet

Look out, Edward Scissorhands! You’ve got some serious competition in San Diego. Behold Harper’s Topiary Garden, a private tourist trap gaining a lot of attention. Featuring 50 life-sized figures shaped by hand, Alex and Edna Harper’s front yard has become a remarkable record of all the incredible places they’ve visited while traveling. The free-to-visit attraction captivates its visitors, who marvel at the sheer size of each delicately shaped tree.

In the early 2000s, “Edna Scissorhands” came to her husband with a proposition. She wanted to create a visual reminder of their travels to other countries by carving intricate topiaries in her front yard. Alex agreed to pay for a gardener to maintain the sculptures if Edna could pull it off.

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The private residence has no set visiting hours, but it requests that people stay off the lawn and don’t touch the garden. Snapping photographs is welcomed and encouraged, though!

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Standing beside the massive topiaries is an impressive experience. Each has its own unique personality. Visitors have traveled all the way from Japan to see the garden in person.

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According to an article published in the San Diego Union-Tribune in 2009, the couple created the topiaries using a unique method of cutting and weaving branches. They’re extremely delicate, hence why people are warned not to touch them. Unlike typical topiaries that are hollow inside, the Harpers’ are not.

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Edna encourages guests to explore what they see within her garden. Although a sculpture may represent one thing to her, it may be seen with entirely new eyes by another person. Harper’s Topiary Garden is a place where imagination flows freely, thanks to one wild idea.

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Street parking is available. Take care not to block driveways or the flow of traffic, though. The private neighborhood is full of other residences, too, so be as respectful as possible when visiting the garden.

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Do you love weird and eye-catching roadside attractions? Which ones stand out the most to you? If you can’t wait to see all the things that make California strange and unique, check out These 8 Roadside Attractions In Southern California Will Make You Do A Double Take.