This is one of those places which is a bit off the beaten track and wasn't very well known at the time of my visits. A fabulous place to enjoy nature and somewhere to see something different.
The Mythic Garden is a yearly exhibition of sculpture by West Country artists, set in Stone Lane Gardens, Chagford. This is a 5 acre arboretum, which holds a National Collection of wild-origin trees, notably Birch and Alder, in a landscaped woodland and water setting. Although open all-year round for viewing and for the sale of trees grown here, the exhibition only runs through the Summer, from May to October.
The first few photos shown above were taken around 2000/01, during a field trip with my fellow studio artists (we shared studio space one day a week at the local further education college). My first visit, however, was in 1993 with several friends, which was the first time I'd heard of the gardens and when I was very much taken with the exhibits...photos below.
Blending beautifully into the landscaping, they mainly consisted of willow-woven sculptures, painted mirrors, magical chairs & thrones made from reclaimed wood, plus a willow tepee adorned with prayers written on scraps of material. Many of these ideas later went into some of the mainstream styles for home and garden.
As it happens, I only took slide photos during that visit, which worked out really well because I was able to use them for a seminar presentation as part of my University degree course, fitting in nicely with a theme I explored around the idea of the mystical garden.
I love the way that these African-style pots look next to the red/orange of the tree bark.
One of the willow sculptures of a leaping deer.
And some more mirrors, which I really love, especially the moon one above.
And finally, in the photo below is my son on the right, along with one of my friends. A fabulous day out, which we all enjoyed very much.
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