Need to get me one of these
Garden Hermit
11–20 of 27 posts
Re: Garden Hermit
#12This is amazing. I don't know whether I want one, or want to be one. As an occupation for retired gentlemen, I think it would be very appealing. We sort of had one growing up, where the family had some land in the country and my parents let a very eccentric man live in a rennovated hippie school bus parked on it, and eventually he built a network of little huts that were each beneath the area threshold where a buildi…
I wouldn't wait for retirement, I'd do it right now. Sadly I didn't grow up in an economic class where I just happen to know people with large amounts of land.
In America you don't need to be rich. Plenty of areas where land is absolutely dirt cheap, as long as you don't mind not really living next to anything and building your own buildings.
Re: Garden Hermit
#13Earlier quoted context omitted.
I wouldn't wait for retirement, I'd do it right now. Sadly I didn't grow up in an economic class where I just happen to know people with large amounts of land.
In America you don't need to be rich. Plenty of areas where land is absolutely dirt cheap, as long as you don't mind not really living next to anything and building your own buildings.
Sure, but as discussed the Garden Hermit gets a stipend or other support from the land owner, possibly in exchange for some kind of service. I could go buy nigh-useless land in Wyoming for a pittance, but there's a reason it's a pittance: it's probably unusable for agriculture, has little or no access to potable water, has no reasonable access to any infrastructure of any kind, etc. Basically, a much much more difficult living situation than the one being described by the article.
Re: Garden Hermit
#14This is the subject of a painting by artist Hernan Bas, "The Ornamental Hermit".
https://thelonelyonedotnet.files.wordpress.com/2011/02/bas17...
The concept raises questions about power, class, voyeurism, contemplation, and loneliness. Reminds me of this story (pardon the source)...
"""As for the contracts, they were usually very rigorous. The most famous arrangement between one such hermit and an aristocrat called Charles Hamilton illustrates the strict conditions under which a hermit was supposed to act:
(A hermit must) continue on the Hermitage seven years, where he shall be provided with a Bible, optical glasses, a mat for his feet, a hassock for his pillow, an hourglass for timepiece, water for his beverage, and food from the house. He must wear a camlet robe, and never, under any circumstances, must he cut his hair, beard, or nails, stray beyond the limits of Mr. Hamilton’s grounds, or exchange one word with the servant.
Unfortunately for Mr. Hamilton, the only known hermit that agreed upon these conditions lasted merely three weeks at his “workplace.” One day, he vanished from the estate and was later seen in a local pub, probably enjoying his freedom with a pint of beer."""
https://www.thevintagenews.com/2017/09/13/the-life-of-a-19th...
Re: Garden Hermit
#15Somehow this feels related to shroomjak.
Re: Garden Hermit
#16Earlier quoted context omitted.
In America you don't need to be rich. Plenty of areas where land is absolutely dirt cheap, as long as you don't mind not really living next to anything and building your own buildings.
Sure, but as discussed the Garden Hermit gets a stipend or other support from the land owner, possibly in exchange for some kind of service. I could go buy nigh-useless land in Wyoming for a pittance, but there's a reason it's a pittance: it's probably unusable for agriculture, has little or no access to potable water, has no reasonable access to any infrastructure of any kind, etc. Basically, a much much more diffic…
Is the rainfall there reasonable enough that you could collect what you needed to filter/drink and wash without being too wasteful? Are there large gas bottle deliveries that could handle heating and cooking?
The hermitic relationship removes risk for the hermit buying remote land, I guess. Saves you being caught with somewhere that turns out to be a dud.
Re: Garden Hermit
#17Is this the origin of garden gnomes? :)
Re: Garden Hermit
#18The modern version of this must be Twitch.
Re: Garden Hermit
#19This seems like a good fix for CEOs who want people in the office because they enjoy watching the ants scurry about.
Re: Garden Hermit
#20I'm always interested in how societies have depicted and accommodated oddballs throughout history. Though I'm not sure if this is an actual example or if it's just a contrivance of the super wealthy.