Day in Derbyshire

The folk of Debyshire loves gnomes from what I can tell.

I went out on a trip with the family and found an abundance of lovely gnomes and accessories for the gnome garden:

And even this great little book!

How does a gnome woo his partner? What hobbies does a gnome indulge in other than fishing? What is their favourite piece of garden equipment? What is their most popular sport? And what is the deal with the pointy hats? Through years of in-depth research at a grassroots level, private study and probing interviews, The Gnome will answer all these questions and more. 

Full of fascinating gnome facts, funny captions and over 100 charming images of adorable gnomes, this is the ideal book for all gnomaholics and anyone looking for a very funny book and isn t averse to it being full of gnomes. Gnomes have existed in European folklore for centuries, with the classic garden gnome emerging in Germany in the mid-1800s. Through charm, cuteness and sheer pluck, the garden gnome won the hearts of Germany, Europe and then the world. 

You can get gold-plated gnomes, gnomes in every football kit, even gnomes that have been customized to look just like you! (Especially if you have a big white beard). But this is the first book to truly capture everything great about the Gnome and tell all their secrets in a stylish and fall-off-your-toadstool funny way.

My wheelbarrow may look empty, but it contains dreams.


Beautiful words.

Spot the Gnome

Two days ago I bought a new gnome. His name is Roger. But can you spot him?

No?

How about now?

THERE HE IS!

Roger enjoys relaxing on park benches...

...watching the life go by...

...Taking photos...

...Seeing the sights / extreme climbing...

....driving around in his ride....

More photos of Roger enjoying himself to come.

Watch this space...

Gnome Island: First Pictures

So I've finally managed to get some photos of actual Gnome Island!

This is the plot of land that the Gnomes will be positioned on. Just need to do a touch of tidying up/declogging of twigs on there and we are ready to go!

Hoping to get some nice plants and flowers nesting in their too. But as I'm not home very often now it'll have to be a slow and steady venture and be cultivated from afar most of the time.

But I am excited about Gnome Island. So watch this space...

Birthday Gnomes

So it was my birthday recently and I was kindly given some gnomes/gnomey things as a present.

Here they all are together:

Back left: James
Back right: Wilf - a new gnome carrying two buckets. Ideal for planting flowers in!
Front right: A solar-powered Robin bird light.
Middle front: A lovely toadstool.
Front left: A solar-powered Blue Tit bird light.

My dad implied that Wilf the Gnome might be a bit....camp. He's a gay gnome in other words. Here's his bio.

Name: Wilf
Interests: Holding, carrying and transporting buckets. Flirting with James.
Birth place: SECRET
Adopted by: Mum & dad
Favourite song: It's Raining Gnomes
Favourite TV Programmes: Gossip Gnome, Made in Gnome Island and The Only Way is Gnome.
Favourite Musical: Jersey Gnomes.
Life Motto: "When the going gets tough, the gnome gets roaming"

Gnomespiration

Here are some more photos of Gnome Gardens

GNOMESPIRATION, if you will:

This is a lovely little 'Gnome Town'. Small, compact and cosy and with gorgeous gardening features. I hope my Gnome Island will have such beautiful blooming flowers. Lacking in number of gnomes though.

Very cute. But not a fan of how spaced out they are, and my Gnome Island certainly doesn't have this much space.

Adorable. And all similar gnomes, which is rare and nice to see.

Gnome Hill! Very creative and comical. I imagine they are all keeping an eye on the rest of the neighbourhood.

Perhaps a few too many gnomes here. Also not a fan of the Snow White figurines. They are Dwarfs (or Little People) not gnomes!

Too cramped, but I love the committment!

Very sweet!

What a lovely feature for a gnome garden! And only £14.99. This is definitely on my Gnome Island bucket list of things to buy!

How it all started

Last month I visited Penzance in Cornwall and came across an amazing Gnome Garden (pictured above).
I thought it was great and was told that the couple who owned the house (right by a public garden) had been adding to it for years.

I was very impressed and overwhelmed by childish excitement. What a quirky and interesting thing to collect, and more than that... what a way to bring a smile to other people's faces!

As a passerby you could spend hours looking at the garden. Trying to spot anything new, observing everything that is going on and seeing the lovely flowers and wildlife that have been interwoven with (or cultivated by) the gnomes.

I decided from that day that I was going to start my own Gnome Garden.

I visited home a few weeks later and told my parents of my plan. To my surprise they were both very eager and hugely supportive and excited about my suggestion. They encouraged me to find a spot in the garden the next day. Our roundabout 'island' was selected as the perfect spot.

 My mum took me to several Garden Centres on the way to the train station the following day and we embarked on a wild gnome hunt. Some Garden Centre assistants responded to our desperate gnome-related requests (we were on a very tight time limit as not to miss my train to London) with confusion, surprise and disorientation. They were obviously not used to directing customers to garden gnomes and often there was no specific section.

In the end we found one, (names James after a very helpful sales assistant) and also toadstool to join him in the garden. And so it begins. My crazy hobby is now up and running. More gnomes, photos and garden features to come. Watch this space...

Gnome visits London

Last week James the Gnome visited my workplace. He even made two new friends - Josh and Vijay:

They loved James so much they even imitated his gnome pose:

Josh also gave James the Gnome the prestigious title of 'Lord Gnomington III' and we granted him the position of Royal Bearer of the Cafe keys:

Thanks for all your hard work James. 

My mum texted me to say she has bought a toadstool for the garden, which I can see next time I go home. 

James will finally have a place to put his lamp down. And give his weary arm a rest.

In other news...

My gnome plans for the future:

• Solar powered water features
• Butterfly feeder
• Bird house (homemade)
• Bee log
• Solar powered lights
• More gnomes (of course)
• More toadstools and perhaps the occasional small animal made of pottery

Pictures of the Gnome Island will be posted once I return to my hometown and re-acknowledge the existence of trees, grass and shubbery in the world.

Alternatively I'm moving house soon so if I move somewhere with a garden (or balcony at the least) then it could act as a nice resting spot for James for the moment, a kind of purgatory if you will. 

But London is no place for a gnome. James, and the others (waiting in shops for me to buy) will eventually get taken back to Sherwood Forest and establish their true and permanent residence there.

Christmas time promises to be an epic Winter Wonderland as I have dreams of teeny tiny red Santa hats for all the gnomes, fairy lights, a mini Christmas tree and fake snow to surround it all.

Disclaimer:

Having finished my degree, and now having a little more time on my hands than I am used to, I realise that I may come across like a 'crazy cat lady' since starting to collect for my Gnome Garden, or  rather, Gnome Island.

Now, while I do indeed have cats (at home, not in my tiny London studio flat, that would be crazy) and while my parents do have 4 cats (5 if you count a recent stray -  and yes that's quite a lot, I agree)... I do feel I am currently of stable mind and am not suffering a quarter-life crisis as others may suggest.

 I do recognise the silliness of all this. It is tongue-in-cheek and very much to be taken with a pinch of salt.

Gnomes are not real and they do not have feelings, achey arms or favourite songs.

The puns available to gnome-related endeavours are highly amusing and endless however, and thus, with the help of what friends I have left after this, I will keep on collecting gnome memorabilia, always attaching gnomey puns to them, and keep blogging about my soon-to-be Gnome Island. 

Because remember 'Gnome Man is an Island'.

And if all else fails, and my friends desert me within a few weeks as I expect, then at least it is comforting to know that I will always have James and the other gnomes to keep me company.