The story behind 'Hedge Face,' a treasured topiary in North Vancouver
When Cindy Brodowski bought her home on Dollarton Highway in North Vancouver in June, it came with a unique feature: a large hedge out front that was carved into the shape of a face at one end.
“If someone says which house did you buy, I say the one with the big hedge face,” said Brodowski. “Most people go, ‘Oh, that house!’ So there is some infamy with it.”
She learned the carved topiary, commonly referred to as “Hedge Face,” had been there for many years, and was the likeness of an artist named Santo who used to live at the property.
“He lived here for 30 years or more, and he’s a fairly well-known sculptor,” Brodowski said.
The cheerful hedge face became a gathering place during the early days of the pandemic.
“When people were staying close to home, families were getting a lot of joy out of it and leaving notes for the face,” she said.
Brodowski knew she had to keep it – and her son-in-law Nate Pollard, who also lives in the house, just happens to be a horticulturalist.
“It was really overgrown, I don’t know the last time it got done,” said Pollard. “But I went slowly and I just found the old growth and followed it, and took a picture of my own face just to see the features, and then that’s how I made the cheekbones and made it look a little real.”
When the familiar face appeared again, the neighborhood rejoiced.
“People were driving by honking and waving and happy it’s coming back, that we weren’t taking it down,” said Brodowski.
“And some people asked me for my phone number so I could do their hedge,” added Pollard, who has big plans for Hedge Face. “When I get a ladder I will change his hairdo. I don’t know to what yet, but I will change it,” he said.
He also plans to give Hedge Face a spooky new look for Halloween, and dress him up like Santa at Christmas.
It’s a lot of work to maintain the topiary, and Brodowski knows some new homeowners would have cut it down – but she says that never crossed her mind.
“We are kind of quirky that way, we like fun things.”
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
How quietly promised law changes in the 2024 federal budget could impact your day-to-day life
The 2024 federal budget released last week includes numerous big spending promises that have garnered headlines. But, tucked into the 416-page document are also series of smaller items, such as promising to amend the law regarding infant formula and to force banks to label government rebates, that you may have missed.
Which foods have the most plastics? You may be surprised
'How much plastic will you have for dinner, sir? And you, ma'am?' While that may seem like a line from a satirical skit on Saturday Night Live, research is showing it's much too close to reality.
opinion I've been a criminal attorney for decades. Here's what I think about the case against Trump
Joey Jackson, a criminal defence attorney and a legal analyst for CNN, outlines what he thinks about the criminal case against Donald Trump in the 'hush money trial.'
$3.8M home in B.C.'s Okanagan has steel shell for extra wildfire protection
A home in B.C.'s Okanagan that features a weathering steel shell designed to provide some protection against wildfires has been listed for sale at $3.8 million.
Diver pinned under water by an alligator figured he had choice. Lose his arm or lose his life
An alligator attacked a diver on April 15 as he surfaced from his dive, nearly out of air. His tank emptied with the gator's jaws crushing the arm he put up in defence.
Psychologist becomes first person in Peru to die by euthanasia after fighting in court for years
A Peruvian psychologist who suffered from an incurable disease that weakened her muscles and had her confined to her bed for several years, died by euthanasia, her lawyer said Monday, becoming the first person in the country to obtain the right to die with medical assistance.
Mystery surrounds giant custom Canucks jerseys worn by Lions Gate Bridge statues
The giant stone statues guarding the Lions Gate Bridge have been dressed in custom Vancouver Canucks jerseys as the NHL playoffs get underway.
Celebrity designer sentenced to 18 months in prison for smuggling crocodile handbags
A leading fashion designer whose accessories were used by celebrities from Britney Spears to the cast of the 'Sex and the City' TV series was sentenced Monday to 18 months in prison after pleading guilty in Miami federal court on charges of smuggling crocodile handbags from her native Colombia.
Wildfire leads to evacuation order issued for northeast Alberta community
An evacuation order was issued on Monday afternoon for homes in the area of Cold Lake First Nation.