Gnomes have a long and distinguished history as tough garden helpers. Diminutive clay garden gnomes originated in Germany in the 1800s. There they remain beloved protectors of the home garden, cherished for their ability to ward off danger. Thyme, too, is a botanical defender: it was long believed to be an antidote for poison and a preventer of plague. But thyme is associated with courage most of all, as depicted by our thyme-wielding gnome bravely fighting off an intruding squirrel.
