Garden Monsters

The Lost Gardens of Heligan in Cornwall were created over a period from the mid-18th century up to the beginning of the 20th century. The gardens were neglected after the First World War and buried for almost a century. Overgrown with plants, broken trees, and hidden under blackberry brambles, it was only recently restored in the 1990s.

The botanical gardens have since turned into one of the most popular tourist destinations in the UK. To add to the mystery and allure, local artists Sue Hill, and her brother Pete, were brought in to create giant Chia Pet-like sculptures. They also completed simliar works at the Eden Project in Cornwall.




The Mud Maid was built as a hollow framework of timber and windbreak netting, then completely covered with sticky mud. Her hands and face are a mixture of mud, sand, and cement which were first coated with yogurt so lichens would grow. On her head, Woodsedge and Montbretia were planted while Ivy was trained to grow as her clothing. She changes with the seasons.