Garden gnomes are becoming a rare species in British gardens

Garden gnomes are becoming a rare species in British gardens according to a new survey which found that sales of the cheeky garden statuettes have halved in the last decade.

A poll of 2000 British gardeners found most thought garden gnomes ‘tacky’, and 94% would ‘never have a gnome in their garden’. But over 100 gardeners came out in defence of gnomes, saying they loved the ornaments and had at least one in their gardens.

In an attempt to make gnomes more appealing the traditional fishing or gardening gnome has been undergoing something of a makeover: among those on offer these days are giant 1m tall gnomes, patriotic gnomes, and a pink gnome.

As well as gnomes, plastic garden seating, windmills and coloured paving slabs were among the garden features which received an emphatic thumbs down from gardeners in the poll.

The most popular gardening must-have is a vegetable patch, with 40% of those polled saying they had one. Hanging baskets were close behind, enjoyed in 35% of gardens. More than a third of those polled had solar lights, a water feeder or a bird feeder; and other popular garden features included wooden decking or a greenhouse, with more than a quarter of gardeners reporting them in their gardens.