More than 1000 gnomes at the Gnome Reserve
More than 1000 gnomes at the Gnome Reserve, It is a thorny issue – and a move that will divide Britain’s gardeners right down the middle. After 100 years of an uncompromising ban, gnomes are about to be allowed through the hallowed gates of the RHS Chelsea Flower Show. The 17-strong ruling council of the Royal Horticultural Society have voted unanimously to allow the jaunty little statues to be part of the horticultural displays in this, the show’s centenary year.
‘It is important for people to realise that we’ve got a sense of humour and we don’t take ourselves too seriously,’ says RHS director general, Sue Biggs. But she is also keen to point out that the organisation’s fundamental values have not changed: ‘We are a learned society and a purveyor of excellence in horticulture,’ she explains.
Gnomes have been banned by the Royal Horticultural Society ever since the Chelsea Flower Show began, deeming them to fall into the forbidden ‘brightly coloured mythical creatures’ category detailed in the RHS rules. The ban was implemented because it was felt that the colourful figurines would detract from the quality of the gardening. There are those, however, who believe that such an argument is no more than thinly-veiled garden snobbery. Previous years have even seen demonstrations being held at the Chelsea gates, demanding ‘equal rights for gnomes’.
Sue Biggs is keen to point out that ‘there is not one gnomophobe on the council’ and this year, far from being shunned, the cheery chaps are set to be celebrated throughout the week in May. A line-up of 150 gnomes will greet Her Majesty as she previews the show, and celebrities are being invited to decorate their own gnome.
No one is more thrilled by this overturn than Ann Atkin, who owns more than 1,000 gnomes in her Gnome Reserve in Devon. ‘It’s about time they were at Chelsea,’ she says. Ann and her fellow gnome aficionados staged protest marches from the reserve when it was started more than 30 years ago, and she is delighted that attitudes finally seem to be shifting.
‘If it is snobbery then it’s quite stupid because when gnomes first came to this country, they were only bought by the really wealthy because they were so expensive.’
Although garden statues have been common in Europe since the Renaissance, the garden gnome in its present form first appeared in Germany in the 19th century. It’s not certain who the manufacturer of the original gnome was, but the German town of Gräfenroda – celebrated for its ceramics – soon became known for producing a steady supply of the statues, creating characters based on local myths.
In 1847, Sir Charles Isham (10th Baronet of Lamport) took a fancy to the cheerful figures. He brought 21 terracotta gnomes back from Germany and displayed them in the garden of his home at Lamport Hall, Northamptonshire, thus starting a fashion for gnomes in British gardens.
Modern gnomes are more often made of resin rather than terracotta or earthenware, but their features have remained consistent throughout almost two centuries of popularity. The typical gnome is male, and sports a beard and a pointed hat. He is usually portrayed as fishing or smoking a pipe, and is invariably smiling. Far from being a mere garden ornament, some believe that they act as protectors of the ground that they inhabit. It is also suggested that the common garden gnome is a descendant of the Greek fertility god, Priapus, whose statue was a common sight in ancient gardens.
Ann Atkin has her own theory: ‘It seems to me they are sort of guardians of your unconscious mind.’
Visitors to her Gnome Reserve are given the option to wear their own pointy hat, and she delights in revealing that ‘99 out of 100 people wear them. It takes you away from any cares and worries that might be with you, seeing the world through a gnome’s eyes’.
Whatever their meaning, their inclusion in this year’s Chelsea Flower Show perhaps marks a return to the high regard with which gnomes were associated when Sir Charles Isham first introduced them to English gardening enthusiasts. They will also serve as mascots of a worthy cause, as their presence is designed to raise money for charity – the RHS Campaign for School Gardening.
The gnomes decorated by celebrities (so far Dame Maggie Smith, Laurence Llewelyn-Bowen, Julian Fellowes and Antonio Carluccio have signed up) will be auctioned off after the show, the profits going towards the RHS campaign, which aims to engage more young children in gardening and growing plants.
The relaxation of the Chelsea ban is not permanent, however. Will gnomes be invited back after their special appearance this year? If not, many a gnomeophile will be fighting their cause.
‘It is important for people to realise that we’ve got a sense of humour and we don’t take ourselves too seriously,’ says RHS director general, Sue Biggs. But she is also keen to point out that the organisation’s fundamental values have not changed: ‘We are a learned society and a purveyor of excellence in horticulture,’ she explains.
Gnomes have been banned by the Royal Horticultural Society ever since the Chelsea Flower Show began, deeming them to fall into the forbidden ‘brightly coloured mythical creatures’ category detailed in the RHS rules. The ban was implemented because it was felt that the colourful figurines would detract from the quality of the gardening. There are those, however, who believe that such an argument is no more than thinly-veiled garden snobbery. Previous years have even seen demonstrations being held at the Chelsea gates, demanding ‘equal rights for gnomes’.
Sue Biggs is keen to point out that ‘there is not one gnomophobe on the council’ and this year, far from being shunned, the cheery chaps are set to be celebrated throughout the week in May. A line-up of 150 gnomes will greet Her Majesty as she previews the show, and celebrities are being invited to decorate their own gnome.
No one is more thrilled by this overturn than Ann Atkin, who owns more than 1,000 gnomes in her Gnome Reserve in Devon. ‘It’s about time they were at Chelsea,’ she says. Ann and her fellow gnome aficionados staged protest marches from the reserve when it was started more than 30 years ago, and she is delighted that attitudes finally seem to be shifting.
‘If it is snobbery then it’s quite stupid because when gnomes first came to this country, they were only bought by the really wealthy because they were so expensive.’
Although garden statues have been common in Europe since the Renaissance, the garden gnome in its present form first appeared in Germany in the 19th century. It’s not certain who the manufacturer of the original gnome was, but the German town of Gräfenroda – celebrated for its ceramics – soon became known for producing a steady supply of the statues, creating characters based on local myths.
In 1847, Sir Charles Isham (10th Baronet of Lamport) took a fancy to the cheerful figures. He brought 21 terracotta gnomes back from Germany and displayed them in the garden of his home at Lamport Hall, Northamptonshire, thus starting a fashion for gnomes in British gardens.
Modern gnomes are more often made of resin rather than terracotta or earthenware, but their features have remained consistent throughout almost two centuries of popularity. The typical gnome is male, and sports a beard and a pointed hat. He is usually portrayed as fishing or smoking a pipe, and is invariably smiling. Far from being a mere garden ornament, some believe that they act as protectors of the ground that they inhabit. It is also suggested that the common garden gnome is a descendant of the Greek fertility god, Priapus, whose statue was a common sight in ancient gardens.
Ann Atkin has her own theory: ‘It seems to me they are sort of guardians of your unconscious mind.’
Visitors to her Gnome Reserve are given the option to wear their own pointy hat, and she delights in revealing that ‘99 out of 100 people wear them. It takes you away from any cares and worries that might be with you, seeing the world through a gnome’s eyes’.
Whatever their meaning, their inclusion in this year’s Chelsea Flower Show perhaps marks a return to the high regard with which gnomes were associated when Sir Charles Isham first introduced them to English gardening enthusiasts. They will also serve as mascots of a worthy cause, as their presence is designed to raise money for charity – the RHS Campaign for School Gardening.
The gnomes decorated by celebrities (so far Dame Maggie Smith, Laurence Llewelyn-Bowen, Julian Fellowes and Antonio Carluccio have signed up) will be auctioned off after the show, the profits going towards the RHS campaign, which aims to engage more young children in gardening and growing plants.
The relaxation of the Chelsea ban is not permanent, however. Will gnomes be invited back after their special appearance this year? If not, many a gnomeophile will be fighting their cause.
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