Black Thumb Chronicles : Gnome Crazy
We've all seen the stock standard garden gnomes around. It's been a classic feature on peoples yards longer than I have been alive. So I suppose it's no wonder now that I'm immensely crazy about my garden, that I am looking at garden gnome options.
For Christmas my father in law, very thoughtfully, put together a hamper for us which included this most awesome gnome.
As you can see, he's far from your average gnome and doing a great job watching over the new basil plant.
Every time we go to Bunnings I check out the gnome selection, and every time none can compare to him. They always have the plaster gnomes (that look like one of the seven dwarfs) in stock but really, it's just not my thing.
And so I began my quest to find the (imo) coolest, so not standard, gnomes available in Australia.
Here's my short list.
Header links go to Australian distributors just in case you are interested 😉
Gnome Empire
Gnome Empire are the fabulous makers of my gnome and they, by far, have the best gnomes out.
I did know there were a couple of other designs but I didn't know they had so many AND that they had chick gnomes!
Sign me up for a chick gnome!!
Designed in Australia, it is made of resin and handpainted with bright and vibrant colours, finished off with a gloss coat. These are truly unlike any other gnomes I've ever seen and totally right up my alley.
Here's more...
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I only found about Gnome Empire last night and I swear this Modern Personalities range wasn't on the website when I found it...... Then again it was really late. Check them out though!
There is also a Yoga Gnome, but it's not in the photo, best check out their website
Here's the thing.. They have Bunnings as one of their stockists, and since I have never seen one EVER in store any of the times I've gone, that says to me these babies sell like hotcakes.
For someone who rarely goes out the odds of me being able to catch these in store is not good. I did check online but they only had 1 design available from their online stockist.
Green Army Man Gnome
Ever watched the movie Toy Story? That was the first time I ever saw the green army men and when I saw this, it reminded me of the movie. I thought they did a great job designing the gnome army man.
The downer is it is just green and apparently, according to Mr Brown Thumb they only made this one variation. Imagine how cool would it be to have all sorts of different green army gnomes in the garden.
The more I look at him, the more I like him. He looks green and mean, and ready to blow up pests in my garden.
Game of Gnomes
The GOT fan in me did a little shriek when I laid eyes on this. Although he looks old school the throne made of garden tools is a total winner. I shall name this one Tyrion.
Again, how cool would it be if they did a whole gnome series of GOT.
Business idea anyone?
The Gnominator
He's cool, he's slick, he's got his leathers on ~ he's the Gnominator!!
As badass as he looks, I'm on the fence about him. I've been trying to figure out why I'm on the fence when I love the Terminator series and totally appreciate the nod to a cult classic.
I've come to the conclusion that maybe he looks too cranky for my garden.
Solar Ninja Gnome
YAS!!!! Shut up and take my money!!!
Imagine this with me.... A yard full of Ninja Gnomes at night with their eyes lit up... SOLD!!!
The beauty with this one is.
- If it fades in the sun, it'll be easy to repaint.
- If the solar dies (because they do that!) It's ok, the gnome on it's own is still awesome.
Ninja Gnome
Another ninja gnome but what it lacks in solar power he makes up for design and I think he will get along with the solar ninja.
Also try to visualise a ninja theme garden. I don't know if I could or should do it, but I sure as hell wanna see it.
Conclusion
There's more gnomes out there than I thought and I'm glad! Now it's all about figuring out my gnome theme or if I go with "the more the merrier" approach.
Chick gnome is definitely on top of my list though.
Another reason, aside from garden aesthetics, why I'm looking into getting more gnomes is I'm hoping I can position them in the veggie patch to deter the birds from eating the tomato leaves and whatever leaves they fancy on the day.
I don't known if that will work or not, I'm crossing my fingers that it does, if it doesn't work out, oh well.. they're still cute as.f but we may have to build a net or a wire cage.
Do you have garden gnomes? Can I see?? Please post pics in the comments 🤗
Happy Monday!!
🌼 Arly
Even cool ninja gnomes will not make me a gnome person XD I'm not actually even much of a garden person but if we ever get this other house (which is looking a bit shaky atm :S) I have plans for how to make the front yard look nice once we throw the aquaponics and stuff at it (the aquaponic frames do the job beautifully but are not the prettiest).
So I'm anticipating more pics of the gnomes you add to your collection and getting presents for you is going to be easy now? XD
Ry!!! Whats the go with the house?!!!
It's Mercury Retrograde again now.. Remember how I'm like don't sign contracts during the retrograde which I did anyway and paid for it - remember all the delays and last minute shit I had to deal with? That's what happens when you sign over the retrograde period...
So perhaps its best things have slowed down a bit? It's on between March 23 to April 15.
back to gnomes.. really?? not even the solar one? all those eyes in the dark... :D
The aquaponics idea at the front yard sounds lovely. Im still wanting one but I cringe at the maintenance upkeep and all that. :(
I don't know when these things are DX
So basically what happened was the house we were looking at reduced in price (yay!) so we kicked into high gear (we'd been kind of slowly muddling through the process) and got a pre-approval and then...estimated sale prices and valuations for our house came in a lot lower than expected (we're zoned R60 but there's not many other R60 blocks for sale in the area so my friend who is a REA and my brother in law who is a valuer priced it in the range of the surrounding R30/40 houses) so we may not be able to afford it after all. We're waiting on Keystart to tell us what the valuers they sent around have to say and then we'll see how we go I guess.
And no. Not even the solar ones. Because as amusing as little glowing eyes in the night would be it will probably give some of the kids that would be visiting and having sleepovers nightmares forever XD
Yikes!!!! Sucks about your house Ry. I hope the Keystart people has good news for you, but at least you guys are steps closer now than you were months ago!!
Just cross fingers it all works out and in perfect timing.
LOLOL could imagine kiddies running in terror from the garden...
There's goes the midnight easter egg hunt idea... ;)
Well if we moved to the new place there's a pool house that they would be having sleepovers in which is relatively self-contained (it has a bathroom with a toilet and you stick a fridge in there with drinks and snacks and they'll be set for a night) and if they're telling each other ghost stories and suddenly those bloody eyes come on at night, it would be pretty funny for me but maybe not so much for them XD
I'm just going with the flow. If it's ours we'll get it, if not then we won't which will be fine even though I'll be annoyed about the time spent in the effort XD
we don't have that.. we don't have garden too.. but I love it.. I want to have animated characters..
Theyre pretty cool arent they? Awww you dont have a garden :( <3
we don't.. we have plants in pots.. ordinary plants... we are living in a small lot.. hope someday if can buy a big lot where I can build a native beautiful house.. for now I am happy for being simple.. gonna buy that garden gnomes.. best of luck to me.. rather all of us..
Oh Momi! Sam would love this. I will show this to her when she gets home from school. I have time to work on our own vegs garden now, and maybe we'll get ourselves some Gnomeo and Juliet to watch over our vegs.
Hey Mr.Freedom!!! I saw your veg garden haul, I'm so jealous. The eggplant and tomatoes looked so beautiful! Soon enough you'll be Mr.Farmer - You definitely need Gnomeo and Juliet for when you guys are Caravaning. You can see how healthy my basil is, I think it's cos the gnome is watching over it ;)
You can't forget the Zombie Gnome's! Those things are creapy but awesome! 😂
Yeh!!! I saw those and was like.. no.. not for me :D :D
Hahaha, they do take a special kind of someone to buy them 😂😂😂
Good post
Cool gnomes! Always wanted a garden with gnomes like my grandfather had!
Haha. This is classic. I think with your creative talents you could actually make your own super cool non-standard gnome. A bit of pottery and paint?
hahaha you know I was thinking about what molds they used since they're meant to be made of resin.
First would be to carve the design out. Make sure all the surfaces are smooth, then once that's sorted, get the 2 part silicone mold solution and or maybe even the silicone putty and make the mold.
As easy as it sounds, it's actually quite difficult to make silicone molds.. and if you're using resin, glass molds are THE BEST followed by silicone...
ya I got carried away there 😁
You mean make my own gnome in clay and paint it hahaha..
Sorry, I am not very good with arty stuff personally. I just remember at school doing pottery and you could mould one with your hands, fire it in a kiln and paint it. I reckon that could still look cool. Or I know a guy who used to do metal figurines and he would carve the original figure from wood (balsa I think) and then make a mould from it. Just some ideas. Have fun with it! :)