A "Hedge Fun" selfie Downtown Stamford, CT has just the thing. There is a 12-foot elephant near the Atlantic Street underpass and green cow at Veterans Park. Where Broad Street meets Bedford Street, a green bear faces off with a hulking green T-rex and you won't want to miss the flying Pigs!

These beasts of nature are covered in artificial moss and wrapped in string lights. Pedestrians stop and stare, smartphones in hand. The zoomorphic topiaries-16 in all are the latest installment in the Downtown Special Services District's (DSSD) outdoor art exhibits. From June until September, the shaped "hedges" will blanket the central district in a display dubbed "Hedge Fun" exhibit features sixteen topiaries are sponsored by local business or organizations.

The clusters of families taking pictures are nothing new for the DSSD. For years, the organizations help bolster the city's status as a local and regional tourism destinations. All the animals can light up at night thanks to solar lights. The Stamford Downtown Special Services District organization has recently invested more effort into community-oriented art projects. In recent months, the city put up murals throughout the Stamford Town Center. The city's organization launched the original initiative in 1992. In the years since, the Stamford Downtown has plopped a menagerie of creatures in the neighborhood each summer.

Arkansas-based artist Jonathan Cromer; owner of Pond Creek Studios and fabrication was commissioned for this year's creations. Johnathan utilized thousands of feet of steel rods and tubing to create the armature of each Hedge Fun topiary themed sculpture. Each armature required dozens of hours to fabricate to the precise dimensions for each different animal subject. The DSSD typically requires hot-dip galvanizing for any exposed artistic pieces constructed from steel.

Hot-dip galvanizing (HDG) is a zinc and iron coating that forms as the result of a chemical reaction when carefully prepared steel is dipped into a kettle of molten zinc. The zinc and iron alloy layers that form on all surfaces of the steel are harder than the base metal itself, providing additional strength to each armature.

Artificial moss and string lighting provides a skin cover over each galvanized armature bringing these Hedge Fun sculptures to life. The artificial moss has design life of 5-8 years, while the HDG coating is projected to provide exceptional protection from corrosion for decades. Overtime, as the moss becomes weathered these topiaries will be revitalized with a skin of artificial moss. The HDG coating will ensure that each armature remains corrosion free for the life of the amazing creatures.

This story has a unique twist and that when the exhibits conclude, the topiaries will be sold at auction, and portion of the proceeds will be used to plant trees in downtown Stamford.