I love Fairy Tales, Folklore and Yes, I believe in Tinkerbell! But the act of purchasing a ceramic garden creature isn’t something I ever thought I would do. I did get a few little mushroom critters for my grandson when he was 3, but I’m not turning into an eccentric, old woman quite yet. I recently revamped my shaded back porch in beautiful shades of purple, mint and aqua. It sounds awful but with all the foliage, it’s really peaceful. Then I went to the At Home Store Home Decor & Furniture Store Chattanooga TN | At Home for a few items to pull it together.

Walking up and down the aisles, I wondered how I had ever survived home ownership without all of this “STUFF”…and there he was staring at me. A Gnome, in colors that screamed that he wanted a home, on my porch. I put him in my cart and walked around the store until I regained my sanity and put him back. There were only 3 left and he haunted me all week, so I drove back over there and I bought a Garden Gnome. And we gave him a name, I know TMI but there is a 5 year old involved.

When my oldest kids were little, one of their favorite shows was David the Gnome which had Tom Bosley’s voice, who was also the father on Happy Days. The show taught about nature and I loved it too. Most European cultures have some Gnome mythology. Gnomes are believed to guard plant life and treasures making them a perfect garden ornament.

A few weeks later the list above was in my inbox from The National Association of Realtors who credit this chart to Atlas Ceramics, the creators of the Garden Trends Index. I was so relieved to see this that I then bought the frog in lotus pose that I was also in love with. So, if you are suddenly taken to buying statuary it’s likely because the retailers are suggesting it, with firepits, patios and pergolas probably the best return on investment. But a gnome might make you smile.