Green Army Man Garden Gnome

What is a garden without a garden gnome? I've always wanted a garden gnome, but never placed one taller than a couple of inches in the garden because I couldn't ever find a gnome I felt represented me, until today. Let me introduce you to the green army man garden gnome that will live in my garden.

Traditional garden gnomes are fantastic, but as I mentioned above, they don't really represent me. They're a little too old school for me. There are other garden gnomes like the middle finger-flipping garden gnome, but I find him too hostile to place in the garden. Even in an urban garden like mine. Then there's the zombie garden gnomes that have become popular in recent years, but again, not really my style.

So when Big Mouth Toys contacted me earlier and asked if there was anything in their catalog that I would like for my garden to review, I almost ignored them because I didn't see anything that I just had to have. Then I saw the green army man garden gnome and knew I just had to have him.

Nothing quite takes me back to my childhood like the plastic green army men this garden gnome is modeled after. This army man garden gnome weighs 1.45lbs, stands 13 inches tall, and is made from weather proof resin but feels pretty solid.

This garden gnome has a brought a smile to the face of everyone who has seen it, especially the nephews and niece. He has become such a topic of conversation in the home that I have decided to keep the green army man garden gnome indoors where he and his bazooka will keep watch over the houseplants. My only critique of this gnome is that there aren't more figures. I'd love nothing more than a few more gnomes posed like the iconic plastic army man toys it is modeled after.

Need a gift idea for a gardener that will bring a smile to a face? Give them a green army man garden gnome and watch their eyes light up. But don't be surprised if they start playing with it and making shooting noises and calling for reinforcements. Big Mouth Toys gave me this garden gnome for free, but you can buy them at the links I have provided. If you purchase it at Amazon through this blog post, I'll earn a small commission on the sale.

Do you own a garden gnome, or are you one of those people who find them tacky, and wouldn't display one in your garden?

Chicago Parks in Vintage Postcards

Chicago's motto "Urbs in Horto" translates to "City in a Garden" and there is no best example of this motto than the our collection of public parks. While our collection of parks today is nice, it was once impressive. As you'll see from these Chicago parks in vintage postcards depicting Washington Park, Garfield Park, and Lincoln Park Conservatory.

Plastic Lawn Chair Scrimshaw

A plastic lawn chair isn’t something I thought I would ever feature on this garden blog, but here we are. Ordinarily, these lawn chairs are nothing special. They’re so cheap-both in quality and price- yet they’re found everywhere. Even in the winter they serve a purpose in places like Chicago where we use them to hold parking spots we shoveled out of snow. Captain’s Chair by Michael Dinges is your typical plastic lawn chair that employs scrimshaw and trench art techniques to make a statement.

LED Gardening Hat

The Chicago Flower & Garden Show ended this past weekend and while there wasn't much to see for an average gardener like myself, I did like this hat. I've been calling it a gardening hat, but it really is a piece of art designed by Janette Gerber that is TRON meets the Red Hat Society. It is sculpted out of fiberglass and programed LED lighting to change colors. Starting seeds with LED lights is a big trend right now, especially among younger gardeners, and I wouldn't be surprised if we see garden clothing and tools embedded with LED lights.

Toad Cottages & Shooting Stars

Do grandparents need a book to help them create memories with their grandchildren? That’s the first thing I thought of when I received my review copy of the book, Toad Cottages &  Shooting Stars by Sharon Lovejoy. The book is written by a grandmother for grandmothers. So why is a 30 something guy reviewing the book? Simple, this book is awesome! There's lots of useful tips and ideas in this book for creating budding naturalists.

Plant Labels You Can Write And Erase

Over the winter Allsop Home & Garden sent me two packs of plants labels you can write and erase. While you can make your own plant and seedling labels/markers out of recyclable materials, sometimes it is nice to have a polished garden item or two around.

The plant labels themselves are a sturdy rubber material that is pre-printed with illustrated silhouettes of a number of herbs and ornamental garden plants. You can write the names of your plants or seedlings on the label, if the time comes when you need to change what you wrote you can rub it out with an eraser. The packs of plants labels also come with miniature shepherd hooks, which are also well-constructed.

Creative Garden Gate

This weekend I came across a very creative garden gate made of twigs that I assume the homeowner/gardener made out of branches from their garden. On a city street in Chicago among a row of nice homes and well maintained green spaces this little garden gate stands out when driving past it. I rode by it twice before I finally stopped and snapped this photo of the gate and wanted to talk to the people tending the inviting garden behind it but lost my nerve.