Garden gnomes?

[Chipshopfat]

Why the hell do we have garden gnomes?

[nickmo]

I gather form Germany in the mid 1800's, then found and brought to UK as simple ornaments.

Brian Sewell had a piece on them recently on TV claiming they are another thing the Romans did for us - they hark back to fertility symbols of gents with excited expressions of intent (polite way of putting it) that have been re-invented to bring fertility to the garden - yeah right Brian. Love his stuff, but thats a bit far fetched.

[bobis]

simple, they are great for target practic when using a sling shot, (please dont tell my wife, she thinks the frost got to hers). all the best john.

[gen2]

Personally, I wouldn't have them near my place. As to yours though, Chipshopfat, I've no idea why you have them, maybe yor partner snuck them in while you weren't watching? Or maybe you are subject to blackouts and had an episode during your last visit to the garden centre? Either way, if you feel that strongly about them, just find them a home in a wheelie bin.

[electricblue]

So we can get pretty postcards from their hols,all over the world!!!

[paddy_36]

electricblue, have you been watching Amelie?!

[sense4all]

My friend has Garden Gnomes because I sneak over her wall after dark and put them in her lovely and other wise 'terribly tasteful' garden. It is very funny when you have been at the vino!!! SSSShhhhh.

[wolf63]

Not only did my late-parents have loads of garden gnomes, my mother even had moulds to make her own with cement. She also made a three foot high bird thing made out of chicken wire and paper mache. The bird disintegrated in time and we sold all the gnomes with the house.

My dad was ordered to paint the gnomes every year, they were mulit-coloured.

I think that my parents were nuts.

[willowman]

Our old neighbours had Gnomes, so we decided to have fun with them.

Once when they were on holiday we nicked the gnomes and got friends all round the country to send postcards as if the gnomes were on holiday. This had to be well coordinated so that each card said where they were going next, and they were all sent in order. The young daughters of the family really weren't sure what to believe. Eventually whilst the neighbours were out we put the gnomes back on the doorstep, they were wearing cardboard sunglasses and carrying a small banner (couldn't find small enough suitcases).

Another time we bought a job lot of flourescent gnomes and, whilst the neighbours were out, covered the patio with about 30 of them. This backfired a bit because they thought the gnomes were lovely and put them all round the garden. Aaaaarrrrggggghhhhhh.

You may have deduced we are not fans of garden gnomes