In the game Grow a Garden, gnomes serve primarily as decorative collectibles. They do not enhance crop yields, aid pets, or provide any direct functional benefits to the garden. Instead, they add aesthetic appeal to your garden, helping to create fun scenes and storytelling elements. Gnomes come in various types to fit different garden themes and are among the rarest collectible items in the game. Players can obtain gnomes from the Gnome Merchant who appears near the Seed Shop periodically, selling gnome crates with different gnome types inside. So, in Grow a Garden, gnomes are about enhancing visual enjoyment and collection rather than practical gardening effects. Outside of the game context, garden gnomes traditionally have been seen as protectors of gardens, believed in folklore to keep pests and evil spirits away and bring good luck. Historically, they symbolize guardianship and are also used as garden decorations to add charm and character. To summarize for Grow a Garden: gnomes are purely decorative collectibles with no direct functional role in gardening or boosting garden productivity. They are valued for their visual and collectible appeal.