"George Harrison: A Gardener's Life" at Selby Gardens

"All Things Must Pass" album cover

In a world in which people are fans of either the Stones or the Beatles, I fall firmly into the Stones' camp. So I wasn't particularly excited about seeing this year's headline exhibit at Selby Gardens - "George Harrison: A Gardener's Life." Surprisingly, the folks at Selby know much more about selecting exhibition themes than I do. It's a thoroughly enjoyable choice for showcasing the Gardens.   

The exhibit is being promoted with this photo of Harrison sitting amidst some garden gnomes. He's in a big field wearing boots appropriate for mucking around in the mud. Lovers of Harrison's solo music might recall the image as the cover for his "All Things Must Pass" album from 1970. What's the story? I'll get there, but a little patience is required.

Guess the song that accompanies this vignette

The Beatles broke up when Harrison was just 27 years old, leaving him with a lot of time on his hands and a lot of money in his pocket. Harrison and first wife Pattie Boyd (who later left him for Eric Clapton) purchased Friar Park, a 32 acre property located outside of London. The historic estate needed a lot of TLC, and by all accounts Harrison and both Pattie and second wife Olivia were up for the task.  

Friar Park was created in the late 19th century by English lawyer, botanist and eccentric Frank Crisp. (For the record, this is how Crisp is described online rather than my characterization.) Before beginning his development of the property, Crisp commissioned artist Alan Tabor to create a map of the features the estate would include. Taking his cue from Crisp's book on medieval gardens (and Crisp's somewhat quirky sense of humor), Tabor's map titled everything "Ye" and included areas like Ye Dial Gardens (a topiary garden), Ye Upper Lodge (High but not Haughty) and Ye Japanese Garden (complete with images of geishas). To see a copy of this wonderful artifact, click here. So far as I can tell, everything included in this plan was created when the estate was built out. 

Selby's replica of the Friar Park replica of the Matterhorn 

While the design included a number of somewhat outrageous features, perhaps none is more striking than the four acre Alpine garden with a 20' replica of the Matterhorn. (The mountain had recently been climbed for the first time, so some homage was obviously due.) Selby's even smaller version faithfully includes the fake mountain goat that Crisp positioned atop the mountain. 

Tucked amidst the rocks of the Alpine Garden are numerous caves that, sadly, are not in Selby's recreation. Included among them was the gnome cave from which the creatures presumably sprang to populate Friar Park. This cave also included a special mirror that made the viewer look like a gnome herself. That could be a shock to the system if you weren't prepared. For more on Crisp's Matterhorn and rock garden, click here. 

Friar Park exchanged hands a couple of times before the Harrisons' purchase. In 1953, the bulk of the estate was donated to the Salesian Nuns of Don Bosco. During their tenure, the nuns operated a convent school on the estate and ran a parochial school in town. And this is where the gnomes come in. The nuns didn't share Crisp's fascination with gnomes and pitched the kitsch -- along with old beds and other housewares that had outlived their usefulness -- into the pond. When Harrison dredged the pond and found the gnomes, they were returned to their rightful places across Friar Park. 

There's much more to explore and enjoy in the exhibit, but I don't want to share here all of the discoveries to be made. "George Harrison: A Gardener's Life" runs through June 29th. Get there if you can. When your feet get a bit tired, you can take advantage of the opportunities to rest and enjoy the view at spots like "Ye pleasant prospect seate." If a visit to Selby Gardens isn't in your future, you might enjoy this video showcasing the highlights of the exhibit. And if your interest in Friar Park and its various owners has been piqued, you can find out more information by clicking here and here. And with that, this post has come to an end. I hope ye have yeself a lovely day.