Garden gnomes a bit of enchanting whimsy or tacky?
Published 5:48 pm Tuesday, March 4, 2008
By Staff
I never thought I would want a gnome in my garden.
First of all, most gnomes that I have seen to me look, well, tacky.
It would have to be a very special gnome.
Not until the day my sister showed up at my door with one.
Laughingly, right there and then, I dubbed it Wilson.
You know, like the volleyball in the Tom Hanks movie "Castaway."
I bet about right now everyone out there who reads my garden column is thinking, "Wow! Has she ever lost it!"
Aren't you?
Well, I'm here to tell you my well "seasoned" character will speak for itself.
The history of garden gnomes is steeped in folklore and superstitions, targets of practical jokes, buffoonery and pranksters.
In fact, garden gnomes are the most frequently stolen garden ornament.
So if you own one, keep an eye on it. Mine is safely tucked away, locked up in my shed.
In the 16th century, a noted scientist named Paracelsus is credited with the term "gnome."
His theory of elemental spirits included gnomes, elves, fairies and pixies.
In the 1880s, German artisans were the first to commercially produce the garden gnome statuary, a craft well-established.
But during World War II, the German gnome industry market halted. It eventually made a comeback. They're known for their high-quality, handcrafted ceramic pieces.
Garden gnomes were also very popular in Victorian gardens and then again in the 1930s and '40s.
And what about Snow White and her seven pals of the Walt Disney tale. Don't they, too, remind one of gnomes?
Now suddenly green gnomes are everywhere, in gardens and even commercials.
Take, for instance, the Travelocity commercials.
Given all the practical jokes and humor, should a garden gnome be taken seriously or is it all in good fun?
Either way, to some it's comforting that their garden gnome statue merely represents to them a bit of humor or whimsey in their garden and maybe somewhere in there is a wish for good luck, too.
It is for each gardener to define his own objectives,
his own ideal, so the garden becomes a natural
extension of the gardener's personality.
– Libraire Larousse