How to Attract Garden Gnomes to Your Garden

Some people consider garden gnomes to be an infestation akin to a plague of dandelions. A true gardener, however, understands that a garden adopted by a gnome - or a family of garden gnomes - is a garden that will thrive under any circumstance. If your garden is sadly bereft of garden gnomes, here is a step by step guide to attracting garden gnomes to your garden.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Garden
• Seeds
• A tree
• A bit of whimsy

1. 
   Garden gnomes like a little sweet disorder.

   Muss up your garden a bit. Garden gnomes seem to be most attracted to gardens that are not overly orderly. Let vines trail over the edges of walls, and make your garden paths a little bit crooked. Garden gnomes tend to shy away from anything that is too rigid.

2. 
   Garden gnomes consider nuts to be a great delicacy.

   Plant ground cover under a nut tree. Any tree that drops nuts will do. Garden gnomes enjoy chestnuts, acorns, pine nuts and nearly any other kind of nut that you can imagine. If you're very lucky and your tree is a good nut producer, you may even be visited by colonies of gnomes on Gathering Day.

3. 
   Gnomes delight in drinking fermented or fresh nectar. Honeysuckle mead is a great favorite.

   Plant flowers that have sweet nectar. Garden gnomes like nothing better than sweet or fermented nectar. Honeysuckle mead is considered to be the original ambrosia - nectar of the gods. Choose flowers that attract hummingbirds, who share the gnome's delight for sweet nectar drinks.

4. 

   Let a few weeds stray into your garden. Gnomes don't see dandelions and toadstools as garden interlopers. Instead, they are very desirable additions to the garden landscape. Toadstools make wonderful stools and tables, mushrooms provide a delicious delicacy and dandelion salad is a traditional meal at the Spring equinox, when the dandelion shoots are young and sweet.

5. Leave some toys around for the gnomes to play with. Garden gnomes are descended from a race of tinkerers. They like nothing better than to invent and find it hard to resist toys and tools. Make it a point to leave some interesting trinkets around. In no time, you'll find that gnomes have moved into your garden and are keeping it lively and interesting.

Tips & Warnings

• You can try baiting the garden with garden gnome sculptures, but it's not necessary.
• Remember that garden gnomes are coffee lovers. Add spent coffee grounds to your garden compost every day.
• Avoid making your garden too formal. Garden gnomes enjoy a little disorder. It appeals to their mischievous nature.
• Never ignore a garden gnome's gift. If your roses look a little brighter or your vegetables grow a bit bigger, be sure to appreciate it. It's the gnomes. They'll know.

Resources

• Check out some funny garden gnomes at the Prankplace.com

[techforlife]

on 6/13/2009 Good article!

[copperhill]

on 3/5/2009 Wonderful article and an excellent read. We hide M

[JMKnudson]

on 2/4/2009 This was adorable!

[shabam]

on 1/3/2009 Very funny, great read for a first visit to eHow. Thanks!

[soanyway]

on 12/29/2008 LOL! I love this article. I would like to make a little house like in The Hobbit! I have seen it done in a mag. and this spring I'm gonna do it. I think a family will take up residency! How fun! Thanks