Costa Rican harvests global recognition for gardening success

For more than 50 years, Zarcero’s ‘Senor Scissorhands’ has cut and trimmed the city’s gardens into international fame.

In 1964, Evangelista Blanco began sculpting the gardens at the foot of the St Raphael church in Zarcero, Costa Rica. More than 50 years later, the gardens and their topiaries have become a symbol of the city and an international tourist attraction. The gardens have grown larger with cypress trees shaped like elephants, birds and beasts, over 100 figures in all.

Blanco was given a national cultural prize for his work and, at the age of 79, still isn’t ready to hang up his shearers.

Al Jazeera’s Andy Gallacher reports from Zarcero.

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