A GNOME tribe, with a few otherworldly friends, have been left stranded in Ballarat amid the coronavirus pandemic. Literally unable to move, the call is out to help home a gnome.
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More than 300 of the cement creatures had been bound for Melbourne International Flower and Garden Show, which was to start this week before preventative cancellation. So now, gnome-one wants them.
Their makers at Spot on Pots and Nursery were hopeful these gnomes, elves, vikings and dragons could still offer a little companionship to people practising self-isolation or colleague alternative to those working from home.
The nursery was to host its own annual Garden Releaf event on Sunday to support mental health body beyondblue. This has also been cancelled along with its simultaneous partnership launch for HiveMind beekeeping for mental health project.
Spot on Pots and Nursery owners Jason and Carly Macdonald hoped the gnomes could still help deliver a mental health message.
"We are all in this together, so we thought let's find something positive," Ms Macdonald said. "We are so sad to not be doing Garden Releaf but we can all still be getting outside and connecting with each other, even though not physically. It's also a chance to plant or spend time with plants that promote well-being like citrus and veggies."
The nursery will donate five per cent of all gnome sales to beyondblue.
Gnomes had been bound as an in-kind display for Royal Horticulture Society of Victoria at the show and would have been sold for the nursery. The volunteer organisation has no ability to purchase the order and the hand-painted gnomes are taking up valuable space.
Gnomes can arrive at you home via non-contact delivery.
TIPS TO PROMOTE MENTAL HEALTH IN THE GARDEN:
Garden Releaf promotes #30greenminutes each day by
- working in your garden
- enjoying time in a garden created by others
- enjoying the produce or fragrance from a garden
- being able to just look at and enjoy a garden
- simply breathing cleaner air
For mental health support: Beyond Blue 1300 224 636 or beyondblue.org.au
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