Garden Gnomes

Some can still remember the gardens around the church, including the vicarage. Wedding photos would be taken in the vicarage garden and somehow it was kept in pristine condition. Alas, those days are long gone. The useful arrangement with the Parks department and the ‘little man’ who earned his beer money, disappeared, leaving only memories and an age gone by.

Enter the Gnomes. It’s difficult to know exactly when the team began to assemble, because there had always been the dedicated few who cut grass, pollarded trees etc. However a deterioration was noticed and up popped a volunteer.

The Garden of Remembrance was and still is the first priority, and was soon restored. Interestingly, scaffolding was placed over the grass at one time, which resulted in its complete disappearance. By the time we had considered inviting the builder to relay with new turf, and debated among ourselves the best ways to solve the problem, the grass had grown again.

It is not unusual for gardeners to hold different views on the best way to get good results. The Gnomes are no exception. Favourites are – lift bulbs or leave them in, tie back daffodils or not, and many more.

Our famous coffee break proves a good time to discuss these issues, along with the great matters of the day, of course. Surprisingly, churchwardens, clergy, pew cleaners and Chancel Guild cleaners frequently invade this social moment in the working morning. Fortunately, we have a member who is good at spotting a bargain at the local supermarket, and there are always chocolate biscuits available.

A previous member of the clergy christened the gardeners ‘Gnomes’ and it appears to have stuck. A previous incumbent once remarked, “Don’t worry if you are mistaken for the gardener, there is a good biblical precedent!”

The Gnomes have no trade union, and there is no joining fee. You don’t have to be an expert: we already have sufficient of those! If you are looking for something useful to do on a Tuesday between 9am and 12 noon (flexitime) and enjoy convivial company, you can become a Gnome.

For more information, contact Stan Berry on 01625 874546

 

Comments are closed.