Boing Boing on MSN

18th-century Brits installed real hermits in their gardens as ornamental features

In 18th-century Britain, wealthy landowners hired actual human beings to live in their gardens as living ornaments. They were ...
LancasterOnline

The 1719 Museum looks to grow programming with a working 18th century garden; here's how you can volunteer

Historic sites and museums are always looking for ways engage visitors and to bring history to life. For Tiffany Fisk, administrator at Mennonite Life's 1719 Museum (formerly the 1719 Herr House) one ...
Smithsonian Magazine

Ornamental Hermits Were 18th-Century England’s Must-Have Garden Accessory

The Honorable Charles Hamilton, an 18th-century British aristocrat and member of Parliament, was explicit in his advertisement. The ornamental hermit he was recruiting to live in the sprawling gardens ...
MassLive

View historic city locations, collect 18th-century recipes at Holyoke Garden Tour

HOLYOKE — A house on a hill in the Bemis Heights section of Holyoke that Jeff DiCarlo purchased 35 years ago is among the many natural sites awaiting inquisitive visitors as part of the Holyoke ...