Best Lawn Art

The Sunnyslope Rock Garden is actually the yard of a private home in a modest neighborhood in north Phoenix. But what a yard. Grover Cleveland Thompson began constructing the odd assortment of windmills, concrete figures and fountains in 1952. Current owner Marion Blake purchased the property in 1979, and vowed to keep the odd sculptures intact, which she has, for curious onlookers to enjoy. The concrete monuments, such as a 12-foot-tall replica of Seattle's Space Needle, are embedded with shards of colorful ceramics, and pieces of animal and human figurines (Blake says Thompson favored Fiestaware for its low price and radioactive qualities). You can enjoy the spectacle for yourself the first Sunday of every month, when the garden is open to the public.