Thanks to everyone who took a guess at our “Where is it? Wednesday” game yesterday! Liza and Bill both knew that this fellow – his name is Elwood, sigh – lives in Iowa. To be precise, he lives in Reiman Gardens on the Iowa State University campus.  Mike offered a more compelling back story about Hans, Das mad Gärtner, which I think was a product of his new parent sleep deprivation.

Standing 15-feet tall, Elwood is the world’s largest concrete garden gnome. My special guy Chomsky is the second tallest, at just over 13 feet.

Thanks again to Jody at Family Rambling for providing the photo, and this background info: Elwood is modeled after a garden gnome statue made by Created in Johnston, a company which creates concrete statues.

He is named after both an ISU professor who taught Landscape Architecture, and the original street which Reiman Gardens sits on (which is now called University Avenue).

There is a gnome in Poland which is larger, but he is made of fiberglass.

First, a quick thank you to everyone who entered to win our giveaway last week! Kathy H. has won a copy of the Drive I-95 guidebook by Stan Posner and Sandra Phillips-Posner!

So, my love for garden gnomes has grown to uncomfortable levels. When I set my sites upon gnomes which are among the world’s largest, like this one, things just start getting weird. I mean, isn’t he cute?! Not as cute as Chomsky, the giant gnome here in my native Hudson Valley, but this guy apparently likes to garden, which is a plus in my book.

Jody, the travel blogger at Family Rambling who wrote a guest post for us on the world’s largest Souvenir Travel Plate, got to meet this fellow in person.  Ten points to the first person who can tell me where it is! Yes, he’s been referenced in a previous post, if you want to search.  Hehe, made ya look. Fifty points if you can tell me his name!!

Also, I feel compelled to remind you to save the date of February 11th for the premiere of the animated movie Gnomeo and Juliet. It’s the humorous story of two garden gnomes who try to avoid tragedy and find a happy ending to their star-crossed love affair when they are caught up in a feud between neighbors. CAN’T WAIT!!