Perhaps we should not be surprised by Germans since gnomes were first created in their country in early 1800's. The earliest recorded sighting in England was in 1840 at Lamport Hall, seat of Sir Charles Isham. It was not until 1872 that gnomes for garden began to be manufactured in large numbers. According to German folklore gnomes were regarded as good luck charms. They were supposed to help around house and garden and in rural areas often lived in rafters of barns where they would keep a watchful eye on owner's animals as well as crops and garden produce.

Over years German gnome makers honed their skills and became master craftsmen. At its peak Griebel gnome factory in East Germany produced some 300 different gnome characters. Following collapse of communism in 1989 entrepreneurs in Czech Republic decided to enter market and to produce cheap imitations of traditional characters. Initially they were prevented from entering Germany by a law which allowed customs to confiscate those gnomes infringing companies' copyright. However, now it is a free for all on German border and Reinhard Griebel, great grandson of founder of firm, has just one workshop and gnome museum.

Whilst original gnomes were depicted as gardeners engaged in traditional rural tasks, range was increased to include anyone from fishermen to musicians, sportsmen and farmers. It was not long before living individuals were being modelled in clay or stoneware. Among those currently available are gladiator Russell Crowe, TV gardeners Alan Titchmarsh and Charlie Dimmock and even a Tony Blair wall plaque.

But when you think about adding a water feature to your garden, you are torn, because you know that a charming pond can also be a mosquito hatchery. And, everyone is concerned; rightly, about mosquitoes and diseases they spread.

It is true, mosquitoes do need water to breed, but at same time, there are so many effective ways to prevent mosquitoes from breeding in ponds, you should not let that stop you. Water gardeners are in a unique position; they can have wet spaces that can actually help stop mosquitoes from breeding.

Just a few simple precautions are all you need to feel safe and enjoy such a wonderful addition to landscape.

If you have a water garden, or want one, try these suggestions.

ØHave moving water in your water garden. Mosquitoes will not lay eggs in running water. The newly hatched mosquito must rest on water’s surface for a few minutes to let its wings dry. If water is moving, female mosquito will not lay eggs there.

ØGet some mosquito fish for your pond. Mosquito fish, or gambusia affinis, are very aggressive predators of mosquito larvae. They are also aggressive to other fish and will also eat dragonfly larvae, or nymphs. If mosquito fish are too predatory for your particular tastes, several other types of fish readily consume mosquito larvae, such as guppies, killifish, and small goldfish. Koi are too large and will not target larvae.