The History Of The Whimsical Garden Gnome

© Provided by BestReviews The history of the whimsical garden gnome What are garden gnomes?

IN THIS ARTICLE:

As popular lawn decorations, garden gnomes are deeply ingrained in our present-day culture and widely understood. These ornaments may feature prominently or subtlety, in yards big and small, all across North America and Europe. They're so popular that they've even been featured in film and TV too.

Where do these ubiquitous, often cute and sometimes odd-looking adornments come from? The history of garden gnomes is both fascinating and surprising.

Where do garden gnomes come from? Gnomes in ancient times

The earliest evidence of garden gnomes dates back to ancient times around the Mediterranean, where statues of the Greek god Priapus were sprinkled around gardens and green spaces. As the god of fertility, he was believed to bring good fortune to outdoor areas where crops grew and flowers bloomed. 

Priapus, however, was also seen as indulgent and frivolous; in some records, he was the son of Aphrodite, the goddess of love, and Dionysus, the god of wine. Notably, he was depicted as short and ugly with a Phrygian cap - the soft, conical red hat that gnomes came to be known for. These gnomes were relatively small, under 12 inches.

Gnomes during the Renaissance

Similar off-putting statues were found in gardens during the Renaissance. Such figures were typically taller than those we are accustomed to today - up to 3 feet - but they were also more garish and obscene. Like Priapus statues, these were a symbol of fertility, particularly as related to excess and sexuality. As such, they were typically found in wealthier homes.

Gnomes in the industrial era

Garden gnomes as we know them today were popularized in Germany in the mid-1800s. These little figurines, anywhere from 3 to 6 inches tall, were constructed and sold as simple household decorations. They weren't necessarily based on folklore, but their dwarf-like appearance soon lent them to mystical and magical stories. Dwarves were believed to work mines and farms, so their presence in those areas was thought to be a boon. 

Gnomes spread across the continent as travel and tourism increased. Notably, traveler and aristocrat Charles Isham is credited with first showing gnomes in England. He brought back a collection from Germany and showcased them at Lamport Hall in Northamptonshire in the 1870s amid his lavish gardens.

They soon became sought-after in France and England as well as northern parts of the continent.

Modern gnomes

Gnomes skyrocketed in popularity in the early 20th century, but interest plummeted during World War I. Disney revived popularity with the 1937 film "Snow White and the Seven Dwarves," which helped bring about the modern image of a garden gnome.

In the 1970s, counter culture helped diversify garden gnomes, where in addition to their traditional look, there was no shortage of weird, offbeat and absurd creations. Today, gnomes may be modeled after characters in pop culture, feature adult content or vary in size.

Garden gnome construction Materials

While early gnomes were crafted from wood, they later were made of terracotta clay in which a mold was crafted and then fired in a kiln. Made by hand, terracotta gnomes allow for intricate designs or coloring. The handmade gnomes also tended to hold up well to changing weather. Handcrafted options still exist and are made from clay, resin or other polymers.

However, mass-produced gnomes made of plastic became popular in the 1980s, allowing cheap gnomes to flood the market. These inexpensive options typically don't last long and aren't environmentally friendly.

Design

Traditional garden gnomes feature bearded males boasting their iconic red hat and often a pipe. As creatures who enjoy leisurely pursuits, they are often depicted as relaxing, sleeping or fishing. Since gnomes are related to farming and gardening, some are depicted as wielding tools, such as rakes or shovels. Female gnomes were rare for some time, but they've increased in popularity and often still feature the archetypal cap.

Today, designs vary wildly. There is an array of modern options depicting various activities and looks ranging from the silly and absurd to the dark and scary. 

Garden gnome usage and reputation

Traditionally, gnomes were viewed as protectors. When they were set up in a house or on a farm, they were believed to watch over inhabitants and keep them safe. Later on, these whimsical creatures were seen more as good luck, promising fertility and fortune.

Gnomes may act as a centerpiece in a front garden or adorned subtly and placed throughout an outdoor space. Some may situate gnomes near ponds or bird feeders. Gardeners may choose to own just a single gnome or build a whole collection to put on display.

Royal Horticultural Society 

As gnomes spread throughout Europe in the 19th century, strong opinions were elicited, particularly the gnome aesthetic. Notably, the Royal Horticultural Society of England, an organization over 200 years old that promotes and cultivates an interest in gardening, banned gnomes from being used in any competitions or grand showcases, deeming them tacky and unsophisticated.

In 2013, however, that ban was temporarily lifted at the Chelsea Flower Show. The event welcomed a range of gnomes and included some decorated by celebrities, such as Elton John, Judi Dench and Dolly Parton.

Traveling gnomes

Believing in jest that garden gnomes should be free, people in the 1970s began taking gnomes on vacation and snapping photos. This led to tourist-type pictures of gnomes captured in front of iconic landmarks around the world.

A prank developed as well. Garden gnomes were nabbed from lawns and taken on a trip. Captors photographed gnomes and sent the images to the owners, later returning their gnomes to their rightful homes. The fad isn't as popular as it once was, but some still pack their gnome when heading on an adventure.

Best garden gnomes

Design Toscano Sunflower Sammy

This high-quality gnome boasts a traditional appearance: It's a bearded male donning the iconic red hat. Although pricey, this durable model is made of resin and stone and is a colorful, detailed and welcome addition to any outdoor space.

Sold by Amazon

La Jolie Muse Gnome with Lights

A modern take on a classic ornament, this garden gnome features a solar LED light that illuminates at night. This playful gnome heralds the garden with his flower trumpet and is designed to withstand weather, including snow and UV rays.

Sold by Amazon

GardenGnomeWorld 10-inch Gnome

This simple 10-inch gnome is perfect for a porch or garden or a whimsical addition to an office space. Its red hat helps to keep birds at bay and it is weather-resistant.

Sold by Amazon

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Anthony Marcusa  is a writer for BestReviews. BestReviews is a product review company with a singular mission: to help simplify your purchasing decisions and save you time and money.

BestReviews spends thousands of hours researching, analyzing and testing products to recommend the best picks for most consumers.

Gnomes Garden 7: Christmas Story Review

Merry Christmas everyone! Let's all celebrate being – at the time of writing – months away from Christmas with the release of Gnomes Garden 7: Christmas Story! 

You get the sense that 8floor Games are having a bit of a clearing out. In the past two weeks, they've released this and Gnomes Garden 5: Halloween, neither of which are remotely close to the seasons they celebrate, and the impression is of a studio clearing out its back catalogue. Someone in the warehouse reminded Corporate that a couple of Gnomes Garden games were left in a corner, and they heave-ho'd them out. 

If you've played a Gnomes Garden game before, you will know that the Christmas and Halloween stuff doesn't really matter all that much. Ninety percent of what constitutes a Gnomes Garden game is the same across every release, give or take some map remixing, and it's only a tiny ten percent that changes. So, while Gnomes Garden 7: Christmas Story might have 'Christmas' in the title, it's about as festive as finding some cold turkey in the bottom of the freezer. 

There are some penguins, which are Christmassy we guess. In one of the thirty-odd levels, you grow a Christmas tree. And, on occasion, you make a bauble. That's about the limit of the Christmas cheer in Gnomes Garden 7: Christmas Story, which says bah humbug to festivity and gets on with some resource management and city building. 

For those who are new to Gnomes Garden, you could start here if you fancy it, or you could start with any of the other six games. Not much has changed. It's the same set of discrete levels, served up on a Super Mario World style map. Pop into a level, and you'll be confronted by a mess of broken buildings and blocked roads. This is where you get your building gloves on and begin the clearout. 

Using a cursor (slow and occasionally inaccurate, but not as painful as you might expect with a controller in your hand), you tap on resources that are blocking the roads, and a wee builder runs out and clears them. That banks those resources, which can then be used to rebuild some ruined buildings. Soon, you have sawmills generating planks, quarries carving up stone, and mills pumping out food. These are the basic building blocks for the rest of the level, and you will soon be generating merrymaker houses (for speeding up resource production), firefighters (for shooing away enemies, among others) and witches (for clearing fantastical blockages like sleeping trolls). 

The objective for these discrete levels are presented across the bottom of the screen, but most of the time they fall into two camps. Either you have to reach the furthest corner of the map, tucked behind tentacles and giant holes, or you have to level a particular building to a certain level (it's possible to upgrade everything in Gnomes Garden 7: Christmas Story, giving you more resources, faster). With all the objectives done, the confetti bombs go off, you're handed a star rank out of three, and then you're back on the game map, accessing the next level. 

Our mistake was playing Gnomes Garden 7: Christmas Story immediately after Gnomes Garden 5: Halloween. Because, blessed Saint Nick, they are familiar. We wouldn't go so far to say that level maps are identical, but the general themes of the levels most definitely are. There are levels that don't give you the resources you need, so you have to trade for them at markets. There are levels that act like puzzles, where you can easily run out of a certain resource if you upgrade the wrong building at the wrong time. And throughout, the buildings, enemies, obstacles and resources are all directly carried over from the previous games, dumped on the ground in a Christmas sack. 

Which meant we got immeasurably bored, particularly towards the end. The realisation struck that nothing new was coming, and none of it was going to be faintly festive. Each of the nodes on the game map was another brussel sprout being dropped on our plate that we were going to have to eat. 

We're being drama queens to a degree. Not everyone is going to be playing these two games in a double-bill. In small measures, it is actually quite fun, if a little easy and routine. There's the opening phase, when you're hoovering up resources with your cursor, and that's got its appeal. There's the moment shortly after, when you're working things out logically: which building is most critical and needs to be constructed first? And there's the end of a level, where everything is flowing, and you're mopping up the final objectives. It's the same routine every level, but there's an idyllic, no-pressure charm about it. 

There's certainly no challenge. Perhaps our skills have been sharpened by Gnomes Garden 5: Halloween, but we failed even less this time, and we didn't think that was possible. By the end, we had to restart one level once, while everything else was a cinch. That's going to make the Command & Conquer players snort, but this resource management city-builder isn't really for them. It's for someone who likes to fill five minutes with some quick tappy-tap resource-collection, without the pressure of combat or fail states. 

We'd like to save some review-space for a criticism that we didn't get to share in our review of Gnomes Garden 5: Halloween. It seems that Quick Resume doesn't work. Now, that shouldn't be a problem, but it compounds with a second problem: there is no save feature. Turn off your Xbox mid game, and all of your progress will be lost, because you can't save and the Quick Resume aborts and sends you to the starting screen every time. This meant we replayed one level a total of six times, as Gnomes Garden 7: Christmas Story failed to recognise that we completed it. We soon learned that returning to the main menu and THEN quitting the game seemed to save matters, but it was far from fool-proof. 

We're not getting the last five hours of our lives back. It's not that Gnomes Garden 7: Christmas Story is terrible: far from it. In fact, if you're on the hunt for a relaxed take on city-building, then we might even suggest you play it. Our problem is that we've reached our saturation point with the Gnomes Garden games, and this release changes so little from previous iterations that it puts FIFA to shame. If we hear the giggle of a goblin, stealing our lumber again, we might scream. 

The Council Has Come For Our Gnomes And Pot Plants. Your Hanging Basket Might Be Next

Pot plants, garden gnomes and birdbaths are in the firing line of a new war on people simply trying to use or enhance the space outside their homes. Local authorities and housing associations across the UK are increasingly imposing heavy-handed rules banning residents of council estates from gardening, drying laundry or even sitting in the sun on their balconies or outside their front doors.

Last week, residents of the Vanbrugh Park estate in Greenwich, south-east London, where I live, launched a campaign to save our front gardens, after the council sent men to dismantle them, citing fire safety concerns.

One of my neighbours, whose prize-winning flower display previously scooped Best Front Garden in the Greenwich in Bloom awards, was told she must now keep her garden completely clear. Elderly residents who cannot walk to local parks unaided were instructed to give up the small benches that allow them to sit outside in fine weather.

Residents of the affected flats fear the loss of the gardens will lead to a deterioration in mental health, community interaction, privacy and biodiversity, and could exacerbate dangerous overheating. A petition started by the community to save their gardens has now been signed by more than 25,000 supporters.

The mews flats in the 1963 estate were designed by the architects Chamberlin, Powell and Bon – who designed the Barbican Centre – with open areas outside each front door large enough for residents to keep pot plants, bikes and benches, without obstructing access. Neither the council's own fire assessment nor a subsequent safety inspection that residents requested from London Property Licensing identified the gardens as posing a risk, but the council says it has adopted a new "zero tolerance" policy towards any items kept outside homes.

A front garden on the Vanbrugh Park Estate in London. Photograph: Phineas Harper

The Vanbrugh Park estate clampdown is just the latest in a spate of authorities stripping economically deprived communities of access to space on the grounds of fire safety. In Newham, east London, the housing association L&Q told residents of Chobham Manor estate to stop drying their laundry on balconies, claiming it "poses a risk to everyone"; and in Camden, north London, a teacher who won the borough's best window-box competition was in April given 48 hours to take down her hanging baskets. A woman in Norwich was told to remove balcony fencing she had added to stop her dog from falling; while in Kent, residents of a retirement complex were informed that putting Christmas wreaths on their front doors contravened "fire safety regulations".

In fact, the new policies often appear to go beyond legal requirements. For example, 90cm of clear passage for communal exit routes is required under British building regulations, but authorities are frequently demanding far more. Residents of the Triangle, a 1972 estate in Islington built with multiple fire-escape routes, have been told they must completely clear their 12 sq metre terraces, though only a fraction of this space is needed to maintain a safe escape route.

"Since Grenfell, there is a fear of taking responsibility: draconian measures are being imposed by local authorities with no rational thinking," José L Torero, head of civil, environmental and geomatic engineering at UCL, told me. "More than 30 years of expertise being lost from this field has resulted in a situation where people without any experience are making all the decisions. You have things like people putting small garden furniture on their balcony and getting told to remove it – that's nonsense. What is happening in Greenwich makes no sense."

A resident of the Vanbrugh Park Estate, Greenwich, south-east London. Photograph: Phineas Harper

One of the country's most senior fire safety specialists, Torero is the former editor of the Fire Safety Journal and serves as an expert witness to the Grenfell Tower inquiry. He fears decades of underfunding means many people working as fire engineers do not have the proper qualifications. "People think that having experience as a firefighter qualifies you to be a fire engineer, when those disciplines are completely different. Fire safety is a discipline in which safety should be introduced in a rational way – not an irrational and random introduction of barriers that will result in massive social problems with no gain."

By imposing new rules that drastically damage residents' quality of life without good reason, housing authorities are failing to treat their tenants and leaseholders with dignity or compassion.

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It was a malfunctioning fridge that ignited the disastrous Grenfell Tower fire, but banning electrical appliances from kitchens in the name of reducing the risk of fires would be absurd. Good fire-safety policies are rooted in practical and proportionate measures that provide the maximum impact with the least onerous impositions on residents, and should be made with input from the community.

Thankfully, a few enlightened local authorities are embracing more evidence-based policies. In Camden, north London, guidance for council residents states: "You are allowed plants outside your home" so long as they are not "in anyone's way", while Southwark uses a "flexible, rather than blanket, approach". This strategy allowed the borough to reach an amicable compromise at the Brandon Estate in Camberwell, south-east London, after officers initially told residents not to fly England flags during Euro 2020 but later backed down.

Councils are under intense pressure and the fear of being held liable should a tragedy occur is driving rushed, over-the-top policymaking. But fear of liability must never be allowed to distort good practice or put entire communities' wellbeing at risk.

Gardens, even tiny balcony ones, bring enormous positive benefits. Councils and housing associations must conquer their liability fears: learning to work alongside residents to co-create sensible, specific and appropriate approaches that safeguard wellbeing for all.

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