George Harrison revived a forgotten garden and Olivia kept his dream alive

In 1970, George Harrison bought Friar Park and discovered a grand Victorian estate whose once-famous gardens had fallen into neglect. Weeds, ivy and brambles had taken over parts of the grounds, the lake needed repairs, and the carefully shaped yews had grown into dense, unruly masses. Harrison set about restoring the landscape, clearing vegetation and bringing damaged features back into use. Gardening soon became part of daily life at the estate, shared in different ways with his family. After Harrison’s death in 2001, Olivia Harrison continued caring for Friar Park, helping restore its topiary and preserve the strange, elaborate character of its historic gardens.Friar Park became an elaborate Victorian garden experimentLong before George Harrison arrived, Friar Park had gained a reputation for its unusual gardens. The house, built in the 1870s and later enlarged, was transformed by Sir Frank Crisp, a solicitor and keen collector who developed the grounds between 1889 and 1919. His creations included a vast rock garden, grottoes, caves, underground passages and a miniature Matterhorn. In the Dial Garden, sundials replaced the fountains of a Versailles labyrinth-inspired layout. Ye...