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George Harrison: A Gardener’s Life
Jean & Alfred Goldstein Exhibition Series
On view February 9 – June 29, 2025
Downtown Sarasota campus
Tropical Conservatory, Gardens, The Museum of Botany & the Arts
For the ninth installment of the Jean & Alfred Goldstein Exhibition Series Marie Selby Botanical Gardens presents an exciting exhibition that will explore the deep and meaningful connection between musician George Harrison – best known as the lead guitarist of the legendary rock band The Beatles – and the pastime of gardening, which became his greatest passion.
George’s love of gardening was an integral part of his identity. In an interview in Rolling Stone magazine in 1979, the renowned singer-songwriter described himself as “just a gardener.” His strong association with gardening was further illustrated in his 1980 autobiography, I Me Mine, dedicated “to gardeners everywhere.”
In 1970, not long after The Beatles disbanded, the then 27-year-old George purchased the estate of Friar Park in Henley-on-Thames, a small town in the county of Oxfordshire, England. Built by an eccentric lawyer named Sir Frank Crisp in 1889, this once grand Victorian mansion with spectacular gardens had fallen into disrepair. With the help of his wife, Olivia Harrison, George was able to revitalize the neglected property, consisting of the mansion, lodges, and 32 acres of grounds. It was in this process that George’s love of gardening began to flower.
George’s free approach to gardening combined creativity, spontaneity, whimsy, humor, and joy. This approach has inspired the exhibition at Selby Gardens, which combines a dynamic display of objects and ephemera in the Museum of Botany & the Arts with stunning horticultural vignettes in the Tropical Conservatory and throughout the gardens of the 15-acre Downtown Sarasota campus. Featured throughout the exhibition are a selection of George’s music and lyrics, as well as excerpts from Came the Lightening, a book of poems by Olivia Harrison dedicated to George and reflecting on their time together. The resulting multi-sensory experience highlights George’s connection to nature and celebrates his life and legacy through the power of plants.
About the wallpaper:
The wallpaper design was created from Selby’s rare book collection & the Friar Park Guide created by Sir Frank Crisp. Our inspiration was driven by which flowers were in Marie Selby’s collection, along with the flowers that would have been in George Harrison’s garden. I also wanted to make the wallpaper look like a traditional british style wallpaper, that of William Morris, to replicate a 1970’s england feel.