Meerkat Madness Grips the Nation
There are many different ways of livening up a garden. Apart from the plants, people choose to do things such as create ponds, paths and place garden ornaments to ensure their garden is as pleasant as possible for them to look out upon.
However, people’s taste in items such as garden ornaments is very versatile. Garden gnomes are often popular, and there are a wide range of these little bespectacled men available, most with the traditional hat, pipe and wheelbarrow design. Other popular ornaments include animals and toadstools, which are also readily available.
There is a new animal ornament on the market, however, one that is strong becoming a household favourite. This is the meerkat. Thanks to recent widespread TV and magazine publicity, the meerkat is an animal that a lot of people know of and are thus immortalising in stone in their gardens.
Meerkats, sometimes spelled as ‘meercats’, are known as sun angels in African lore. They are believed to protect villages from werewolves or the moon devil, which supposedly attack lone men or stray cattle. Well known for their characterful expressions and ways of walking and acting, other television programs such as ‘Meerkat Manor’ have helped to make the animal famous. However, Aleksandr Orlov is perhaps the most famous ‘meerkat’ at the moment; the fictional aristocratic Russian meerkat dominates our television screens with his adverts and meerkat comparison website. Thanks in part to him and his posse of meercats, people are finding it ever more irresistible to have a meerkat family in their back garden.
The meerkat family garden ornament set consists of 4 different members, all pulling different engaging expressions and in different poses. The head of the family is identified by a red bandana around his neck. 33”-35” tall (inc stakes), they are hand painted and made from polyresin that is frost resistant, thus ensuring they can live happily outside all year. To add an extra touch of charm, their stakes have spring tops, so that when the wind blows the meerkats almost look as if they are dancing.
As the meercatfamily can be placed pretty much anywhere in a garden, or even next to a path or walkway, this makes them great gifts for the gardeners amongst us. They will almost certainly elicit a smile from passers by if placed on the front lawn, and mat become a great talking point and help get to know residents who perhaps have never spoken before.
Christmas is very nearly upon us again. People are beginning to make their lists and check them twice, so it is important we start getting well prepared for the festive season. Whilst the meerkats are perhaps a little tall to be wrapped up as a stocking filler gift for Christmas, it may be worth the coldness to sneak them out on Christmas Eve night to see people’s faces and reactions in the morning. Anyone who loves gardening and garden ornaments will be sure to appreciate the humour, especially if they are meerkat fans in the first place.
