Naked gardener Eva Mendes

Oct 12, 2007, 12:30 GMT

Eva Mendes - © Lee Roth / RothStock / PR Photos

Eva Mendes loves gardening in the nude.

The Cuban beauty is so comfortable in her own skin she even weeds her flowerbeds and prunes her bushes completely naked.

Eva said: "I love being naked. I do everything in the nude, even the gardening!

"We're Cuban, and it's a hot island. Why not go nude?"

The 'Hitch' star was not so comfortable stripping off in front of the cameras for her new movie with Joaquin Phoenix 'We Own the Night', which opens with Eva's raunchiest ever sex scene.

The 33-year-old Hollywood sex symbol was so nervous, she had to get drunk to shoot the scene.

She said: "It's not a natural thing on camera, so it's always going to be a little awkward.

"It was tough. That morning I was so nervous that the director was like, 'Why don't you put a little vodka in your orange juice?' So I did. It took the edge off.

"It's weird to see myself in bed with Joaquin up on the big screen. I told my mom she has to come 15 minutes late. She wouldn't live through that first scene - she'd have a heart attack. The poor lady would keel over in the movie theatre."

(C) BANG Media International