THE GARDEN GNOME

 Legends, folklore and belief systems of ancient EARTH SPIRITS can be discovered in most countries and cultures worldwide.  The ancient, but now growing human need to populate gardens with symbolic statues of nature spirits can be associated with our growing concern for the health of MOTHER EARTH.

The humble GARDEN GNOME has a proud tradition stretching back into ancient Scandinavian and northern Europe folklore and legend.

The Swiss alchemist PARACELSUS (1493-1541) is believed to have first used the word GNOME to represent the element of EARTH, and also suggested GNOMES were elemental earth spirits.

In theory a GNOME can be any small statue regardless of form or shape.

However it was Sir Charles Isham of Lamport Hall Northamptonshire in the 1880s who unintentionally popularized the idea of a GNOME being a dwarf type figurine.

Anyhow since the first-ever International Gnome Convention in CHRISTCHURCH NEW ZEALAND in 1995, the GARDEN GNOME is increasingly being accepted worldwide as a friendly reminder for all of us to take better care of our MOTHER EARTH.

CHRISTCHURCH is believed to be the first city in the world to have its own official GARDEN GNOME.

I hope you will enjoy this small gift from me!

THE WORDÕGNOMEÕ has come to mean....

GUARDING NATURALLY OVER MOTHER EARTH

CHRISTCHURCHÕS GNOMOLOGIST