UK magazine Country Life has this month published a very interesting story about the topiary gardens of George and Olivia Harrison’s famous Henley-on-Thames estate, Friar Park.

We’re all used to seeing the occasional photograph showing glimpses of Friar Park – the mansion, extensive grounds and amazing gardens that George purchased in 1970. The most famous would have to be this album cover:

So it is interesting to read a contemporary article about how the gardens, in particular the topiary section, are doing now. When Harrison first moved in they were in a very poor state, having been let go by the previous occupants for more than 30 years:

George became a very keen gardener and determined to put not only the house (which had also fallen into disrepair) but all the gardens back to rights. He was so hands-on that his son Dhani once said: ‘My earliest memory of my dad is probably of him somewhere in a garden covered in dirt… just continuously planting trees. I think that’s what I thought he did for the first seven years of my life. I was completely unaware that he had anything to do with music.’

His widow Olivia has maintained that dream and, to be honest, from the images in this article the topiary section today is looking magical.

The article ends:

In short, the impeccably maintained topiary garden at Friar Park today is a masterpiece—one of the most important in all Europe.

(Click on images to see a larger version)