What have Meerkats got to do with Rooms in our Gardens?

News stories report that tens of thousands of UK gardeners are replacing the traditional garden ornament with resin copies of meerkats

. In my experience of fitting garden studios across the country, I have yet to see one. In fact, I can say that our clients tend not to decorate their gardens with plastic or resin creatures, preferring natural foliage instead.

The meerkats were described by The Guardian's journalist Jane Perrone as, "meerly hideous", as she invited her online audience to name and shame their worst garden ornaments seen. The latest craze has risen quickly to overtake the traditional British gnome and Irish fairy garden adornments. One firm has sold 250,000 resin meerkats in the past year on the back of the popularity of the compare the market ads. The figures, which sell for around 30 each, depict meerkats dressed as Santa, soldiers and spies as well as riding motorbikes, playing golf and gardening. Paul McGuire, marketing manager of manufacturer Vivid Arts stated, "The whole country has gone meerkat mad".

In terms of public interest, meerkats seem to have form. From David Attenborough's Meerkats United film in the 1980s, through the popularity of the unnaturally solitary Timon in The Lion King, to Meerkat Manor, (which now airs in 67 countries and has a US audience of 22 million), it is clear that meerkats exercise a strong appeal over the viewing public. Scientifically speaking, meerkats are cute on account that humans find animals whose eyes are on the front of their heads (rather than at the side) more appealing, and meerkats clearly qualify. They stand on their hind legs, using their tails to support them so, at times, can look like a row of garden gnomes without the fishing rods.

They may be cute but I'm experiencing the concept of overkill. I live in a tiny village and while queing in our post office yesterday, noticed an array of stuffed merrkat toys in various states of attire. If they've reached my little backwater, then meerkats are officially everywhere.

What have Meerkats got to do with Rooms in our Gardens?

By: Jewel

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