‘Colossal troll’ to be added to Huntsville Botanical Garden, Spring 2025
HUNTSVILLE, Ala. (WHNT) — Huntsville Botanical Garden (HBG) is getting a magical realm to transport visitors into a world where mythical creatures and Earth’s beauty live in harmony.
The centerpiece of the Mother Earth Troll Garden will be a 20-foot-tall troll created by Thomas Dambo. He is a world-renowned artist who is known for his larger-than-life recycled troll sculptures which are all over the world. Dambo is from Denmark and brings life to folklore through his sculptures.
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The best part is Dambo’s sculptures are made from recycled materials!
In contrast to his traveling troll exhibits like the ones recently at Atlanta Botanical Garden and Cheekwood Estate and Gardens in Nashville, the Mother Earth Troll Garden will be a permanent exhibit for HBG, opening in spring 2025.
Dambo says that his approach is not merely artistic but narratively rich. Each troll he creates is accompanied by a story, a name, and a poem that echoes the spirit of the creature and its surroundings. In his world, the trolls are the heroes of the Earth, here to protect nature from the wayward activities of humans.
“The Mother Earth Troll and maze is an entire permanent garden landscape,” said HBG CEO Sue Wagner. “It is one of the first gardens called out in the Garden’s Master Site Plan.”
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Construction on the maze garden began in February 2024 when Dambo’s team joined HBG staff and volunteers to transform the space. The troll will be installed in early spring 2025 and the area will be open to the public shortly after.
Elements like the tree and rock donations from local contractors and partnerships with tree companies underline the community’s involvement and the cyclical nature of life — the old giving way to the new, fostering growth and sustainability. These elements are not just decorative but are integral to Dambo and HBG’s shared ecological narrative, emphasizing the role of reuse and renewal in conservation.
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