Decoder Ring: The Secret Life of Lawn Ornaments
Lawn ornaments are everywhere\u2014but for something so ubiquitous, they\u2019re also mysterious. What\u2019s the person with the flamingo or the gargoyle in their yard trying to say\u2014and why do they want to say it so publicly? From the garden-variety to the not so common, the adorable to the odious\u2014lawn ornaments speak volumes, without saying a word. In this episode, we travel from Germany to England and back home to look at the history and meaning behind three specific lawn ornaments: the garden gnome, the lawn jockey, and the 18th century ornamental hermit.\nYou\u2019ll hear from historian Twigs Way, Sven Berrar of the Zwergstatt Gr\xe4fenroda, David Pilgrim of the Jim Crow Museum, Kenneth Goings who is an emeritus professor at the Ohio State University, and art historian Ned Harwood.\nThis episode was written by Evan Chung and Willa Paskin. It was produced by Evan Chung. We produce Decoder Ring with Katie Shepherd and Max Freedman. We had additional production from Cheyna Roth and Martina Weber. Derek John is Executive Producer. Merritt Jacob is Senior Technical Director.\nThank you to Friedemann Brenneis, Heather Joseph-Witham, and Elise Gramza.\nIf you have any cultural mysteries you want us to decode, email us at DecoderRing@slate.com.\nIf you love the show and want to support us, consider joining Slate Plus. With Slate Plus you get ad-free podcasts, bonus episodes, and total access to all of Slate\u2019s journalism.\nLearn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices