Garden Gnomes - Cute accessories for your garden!
Having garden gnomes in the yard have become a very popular accessory today. But where did they originate? They are mythical creatures that originated in Germanic history. In Europe, these creatures were depicted in many different ways through story telling. In some areas, these creatures were helpers of good and spirits that walked the earth to help humans. In other cultures, they were the little bad spirit that would hide things and do mischief. In the Brothers Grimm fairytale books, they were the troll like people that lived under bridges and ate things. Parents used them to keep children from misbehaving. They were what in modern times we call the “boogeyman”.
The first garden gnomes appeared early in the 1800’s in the United Kingdom by Sir Charles Isham, when he brought back figures from a trip to Germany and he placed them as ornaments in the lawn of his home in Northamptonshire. Of the 22 garden gnomes he brought back, only one has survived: Lampy, as he has been affectionately named, is on display at Lamport Hall, and is insured for one million pounds!
Garden gnomes have become a popular addition to many people’s gardens. There is big business in the garden gnome industry. You can find just about any kind that you desire. They have ones that depict fishing, as a welcome figurine to your house, as a protector of your vegetable area. They can also find there way into houses as decoration. Not all people have a love for garden gnomes though. They have been known to become subject to people and pranks. Some kidnapped garden gnomes have been known to travel around the world.
If owning garden gnomes is something that you find intriguing, start with online catalogs and pick a theme. Do you want them all to be gardening? Would you like them to be welcoming people? Or do you just want to sprinkle them throughout your lawn for decoration. There is big business, according to the different free websites, on garden gnomes. There is at least one page on the history of the garden gnome.
These cute little guys can come in varieties of mediums as well. You can purchase them in a resin material that will withstand the weather. There can also found to be made of ceramic and even cement. The details on their faces can sometimes be a little eerie. They can also come unpainted or in a wide array of colors. Red is almost always predominant as to the color of their hat.
If you have ever considered starting your own personal collection of garden gnomes, look to your favorite flower store or home supply store to start this adorable collection!