A Scottish DJ who survived cancer surgery has combined his love of music and gardening to create the latest online shopping sensation – The Gnome Roses. Andrew McDermid, or McD as he’s otherwise known, is the brainchild behind a collection of Stone Roses-themed garden ornaments currently taking the internet by storm.
The 2ft resin figures of frontman Ian Brown, guitarist John Squire, bassist Mani and drummer Alan “Reni” Wren even have a number of celebrity fans. Singer Lily Allen told her four million Twitter followers they were the “best present ever”, while Oasis founder member Paul “Bonehead” Arthurs has also recommended them to fans.
“I was seriously ill for a couple of years with bowel and liver cancer and a lot of that time was spent recuperating after surgery,” said McD.
“It was the first time since the age of 16 I had time on my hands and I got quite into gardening.
“I remember seeing Upside Down: The Creation Records Story and feeling melancholic. I decided to make a statement that would marry rock’n’roll and gardening.”
The DJ teamed up with artist Charlie Boyle, who sketched caricatures of the band, before they found a company in Poland to produce the gnomes.
