Garden Gnomes For Sale
“Garden Gnomes For Sale”
That’s what the sign said, as I sped past in my car. Not sure why it stuck in my mind but when I got home I decided to look up garden gnomes. Quite a history!
Seems that garden gnomes first appeared in the early 1800′s, in Germany. About 1840, they came on the scene in England. People believed that having garden gnomes would make for better plants, and also bring good luck.
History tells us that Sir Charles Isham, the 10th Baronet of Lamport Hall, was the first proud owner of a garden gnome in England. In fact he brought back 21 of them from Germany and set them up in his garden rockery. Only one of the original batch of gnomes survives: Lampy, as he is known, is on display at Lamport Hall, and is insured for one million pounds.
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Originally garden gnomes were hand made using terracotta, and this was the material used until the 1960′s. These clay statues were often well-loved decorations which were handed down from generation to generation.
Philip Griebel and August Heissner started mass producing garden gnomes in around 1872. Within a short time Heissner Gnomes became famous around the world. Far from the tacky image of todays gnomes, these were considered to be works of art which brought luck to the owners.
Many of these early gnomes were beautifully made, often quite large (up to a meter) and incredibly finely-detailed. Although most remained in the garden, some found their way into wealthy homes as house ornaments or door guardians.
Gnome mythology actually goes back hundreds of years – early depictions show gnomes as white-bearded, wizened old men, often misshapen and generally very short. They also usually wore red hats and tan pants.
Early gnomes were somewhat serious fellows, and remained so right up until Walt Disneys Snow White & The Seven Dwarfs gave us a glimpse of what was to come.
The film was produced in 1937 but unfortunately, two years later, World War II pretty much wiped out gnome production right across Europe.
Production didn’t really take off again until resins and plastics came to the fore in the 1960s, enabling the mass production of the cheap, bright and cheerful gnomes we see around today.
Today, there are few remaining ceramic gnome manufacturers, with most being made from plastic in Eastern Europe and the Far East.
Gnomes add humor and (sometimes) style to the modern garden, which is why so many gardeners like ‘em!
However nowadays there is a real worry that gnomes displayed in the front yard will disappear overnight (the recession maybe?), and it is claimed that they are the most frequently stolen garden decoration. Gnome Rustlers, perhaps?
Garden gnomes have been with us for over 150 years, and are likely to stick around, so, like them or not – they’re here to stay!
Coupla last snippets:
Gnomes are banned from the Chelsea Flower Show because the organizers claim they detract from garden designs.
Garden gnomes have been banned from cemeteries by the Diocese of Bath and Wells (in England ” where else?) because leaders say they are “unnatural creatures”. Along with plastic flowers and other decorations such as teddy bears, they have been called “inappropriate and tacky!
In France there is even a French Liberation Front of Garden Gnomes
*sigh*
