Bushgnomes
Garden Gnomes have been decorating gardens for over 100 years. Originally, they were made in Germany and based on local myths about how gnomes help gardens grow. Today, they are popular items in many gardening stores. Building off the popularity of garden gnomes, O.U, Professor Sam Girton came up with a modern variation – The Bushgnome. It was a hot ticket as a Christmas gift for both sides of the aisle last Christmas and he’s anticipating that it will be a best seller again this year. They’ve been featured on the Tonight Show and have a place on the set of Rodney. Another thing that is helping sales is the fact that the little elves are made in the US - at the Hull Pottery Factory in Crooksville. Hull Art Pottery is collected by many people worldwide.
Girton has designed three different Bushgnomes. “I’m going to have to change my name to “HalliGirton”, jokes Girton. Girton said the gnomes are designed to appeal both to people who support President Bush and those who oppose him. Each gnome has been built so that it can hold an item such as a small flag or an army gun, and Girton is including modeling clay that can be shaped to look like a bag of money or other items, he said. He got the original idea for his Bush gnome from political cartoons that often depict President Bush with pointy ears. Girton thought President Bush looked like a gnome in the cartoons, so he decided to create the garden gnome based on President Bush. He also had the gnomes made so that Bush would have his fingers crossed behind him. Girton even has an accessory competition that pays a winning prize of $500.00 to see how Bushgnomes can creatively be used. (http://www.bushgnome.com/acc.html).
This is a great story of a young entrepreneur who took and idea and ran with it. I can interview Girton, get sounds of people looking at gnomes in the store, talk to a store owner, and visit the factory to talk about how it has boosted employment there.
Sandra Sleight-Brennan
Athens, OH
