Why we should love gnomes

 Garden or lawn gnomes add colour and life to any type of garden from a perfectly manicured English garden to a wildly growing back yard. They ward off thieves, protect the harvest, and are said to take care of the whole household. It seems like a lot of responsibility for a tiny statue, but then, they have a lot going for them. They are a solid representation of a magical character.

Gnomes are legendary little old men who live in caves and guard buried treasure. They give assistance to all living creatures and symbolize honesty, integrity and hard work. Garden gnome statues are supposed to protect the garden and bring good luck as a reward for the good behaviour of farmers, housewives and merchants.

The first artificial reproduction of a real garden gnome was made of terra cotta around the mid 1800’s by Philipp Griebel in Germany. Today, his great grandson Reinhard Griebel runs the one remaining workshop as well as the gnome museum. These are the originals, but there are many imitations all over the world.

The original gnomes and genuine reproductions have an innocent happy expression and a traditional old world charm that make them welcomed additions to a garden. They have a cheerful smile or an affable look with a full white beard or side whiskers and will stand guard in any weather. They are not modern or garish and never meant to stand out. The garden is their home and it is lucky for the owner that they have decided to move in.

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These little men with their red caps with bent tips are still regarded as good luck and are not only found in gardens but in the rafters of barns, by swimming pools and other places where someone likes to see them peaking around corners or over bushes.

The worker gnome, the leisure gnome and the culture gnome are the three main types of garden gnomes. The worker gnome is usually holding a tool for mining or horticulture. The leisure gnome is sitting and relaxing often smoking a pipe or holding a fishing pole. The culture gnome is the most recent addition and holds a musical instrument or a book.

Garden gnomes have changed with the times and are made of plastic, resin, ceramic and concrete. The traditional gnomes were less than 14 inches, but today they come is different sizes. There are also many different types of gnomes to suit the personal style of the owner. Gnomes on roller skates, motorcycles, holding mobile phones and even wearing T-shirts from professional sports clubs can be found.

According to tradition, original garden gnomes gradually appear out of exactly the right earth and clay combination in Thuringia, Germany. During the season when the temperatures are just right, they begin to appear out of the ground, red cap first. In two weeks they fully appear and are ready to be picked. These magical creatures live in our gardens and represent good fortune, happiness and prosperity and that is why we should love our garden gnomes.

Copyright Campaign for Gnomal Ascendancy 2009