Recently, one of the most recognizable and well known horticultural icons of our area was vandalized and the residents of the community of Corona del Mar want to know why.
For the past fifteen years twelve jumping, diving and frolicking topiary dolphins have been a well known landmark of this beach community, greeting residents and visitors as they pass along Pacific Coast Highway at the intersection of Marguerite Avenue.
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The famous Corona del Mar dolphin topiaries The first dolphin, on the far right, was recently vandalized. A stake can be seen holding it in position. |
Recently, the lead dolphin was apparently vandalized, pushed to the ground by some thoughtless person or persons. Roots we pushed out of the ground and branches were broken. When discovered the next morning, city staff provided emergency CPR, immediately righting the seven foot juniper sculpture and securing it in an attempt to avoid the inevitable. After inspecting the damage on Thursday of this week I can’t be certain whether the plant will survive. The foliage still looked surprisingly green, but it is too early to tell for sure what its fate may be. We all hope it will survive; otherwise the dolphin pod will soon be without its leader.
Over the years Corona del Mar resident volunteers, known locally as the “Dolphin Ladies”, have adopted the topiaries. They painstakingly groom, feed and tend to them, almost as if they were the real thing, often seen from the ocean bluffs just a few short blocks away. They even decorate them seasonally, donning Santa hats during Christmas and American flags on Independence Day.
The decorations, which recently included Easter baskets, have occasionally divided the residents. But a recent on-line poll garnered 178 responses and 65% of the community weighed in that they prefer the decorations, while only 35% thought the dolphins would be better “in the buff”.
As most locals know, the dolphins are playfully arranged as if they are leaping and diving in and out of the ocean. In fact, Roger’s Gardens landscape general manager, Tim Fiskin and I have been working with city staff and local business leaders to re-landscape the area beneath the twelve ocean mammals. The landscape proposal, if approved, will mimic the dolphin’s natural habitat of blue ocean and silvery waves.
If accepted, the remnants of rosemary and agapanthus currently surrounding the dolphins will give way to a watery blue-gray ocean of succulents including Senecio mandraliscae, Echeveria elegans and others. At the base of each dolphin would be a cluster of several taller plants called Astelia ‘Silver Spear’. This plants spiky habit and contrasting silvery-white, almost metallic color, would give the appearance of a splash of water rising out of the blue ocean below.
Over the past few years The Corona del Mar Business Improvement District has been working tirelessly to enhance the downtown area along East Coast Highway and create a lush village atmosphere, somewhat akin to what you might see in Carmel or even in parts of downtown Laguna Beach. The topiary dolphins, extensive hanging basket gardens, additional street side landscaping, benches and more would all be ingredients of this new village atmosphere.
Meanwhile, due to an episode of certain thoughtlessness, our local Corona del Mar dolphin pod on Pacific Coast Highway may soon be one less. A police report has been filed and anyone with information regarding the destruction of the dolphin topiary is encouraged to contact the City of Newport Beach Police Department at 949 644-3681. Information can also be reported to the departments 24 hour anonymous tips hotline at 800-550-NBPD.
Preparing for the worse, The Corona del Mar Chamber of Commerce (949-673-4050) is accepting donations toward the possible replacement of its lead dolphin.
Ron Vanderhoff is the Nursery Manager at Roger’s Gardens, Corona del Mar
Questions from Readers
April 5, 2008
Question:
Our two year old garden has large, three--inch grasshoppers as well as smaller ones. They don’t focus on any particular plants and in the 40 years I’ve lived here I have never before had a problem. Suggestions?
Jill, Newport Beach
Answer:
Few garden pests have such all-inclusive tastes or can be so aggravatingly difficult to control as grasshoppers. They are highly mobile, capable of moving hundreds of feet a day, and often much more. Infestations tend to be cyclic, with some years being very heavy, while other years hardly one is seen. Insecticides are of little value and not recommended.
Although it may take a little getting used to and a bit of practice, I find regular hand harvesting to be quite effective if you keep at it for a while. Grasshoppers are fairly easy to spot in a garden and a little “organic” control with either a pair of pruning shears or the sole of your shoe will go a long way toward keeping the problem under control.
