When we think of George Harrison in his post-Beatles era, many of us will picture him sitting in the garden at Friar Park, surrounded by gnomes on the cover of All Things Must Pass. It is an image that is fundamentally George: a Beatle that had travelled the word, soundtracked a generation and eventually found solace in the pleasure of his sprawling English garden. Friar Park, his Victorian Gothic home in Henley-on Thames, was not just a home, but an eccentric, enchanting world.
Purchased in 1970, the property became a lifelong labour of love for George, who devoted himself to restoring its 62-acre grounds. Friar Park's gardens became his solace from the outside world. ‘Sometimes I feel like I'm actually on the wrong planet,’ he once said. ‘It's great when I'm in my garden, but the minute I go out the gate, I think, what the hell am I doing here?’
In Martin Scorcese's 2011's documentary about George, his son Dhani – a musician himself – is quoted as saying: ‘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.’ In a 2022 interview, George's wife Olivia said that he had wanted to be remembered above all as a gardener – who ‘wrote one or two good tunes’.
Now, more than half a century after George came to Friar Park, his garden legacy is inspiring a new collaboration – between gardening brand Niwaki and Dhani – bringing together horticulture, craftsmanship and, of course, music.
At the heart of the new Friar Park x Niwaki collection – which includes Japanese-made, beech-handled gardening implements, bags, caps and a ‘meditation jacket’ – is a shared appreciation for the art of tending to something over time. The estate’s gardens, including its distinctive topiary dial garden and Japanese garden, continue to be carefully maintained by the family. The collaboration grew out of a longstanding relationship with Niwaki, whose handmade Japanese steel tools have become part of the everyday business of looking after Friar Park.
But for music lovers, one of the most enticing elements of the collection may be found beyond the secateurs and pruning saws – an exclusive 7-inch vinyl pressing of ‘Ballad of Sir Frankie Crisp (Let it Roll)’ – an album track from All Things Must Pass which takes its name from the original owner of Friar Park, a 19th century lawyer and horticulturist.
Friar Park x Niwaki
There is a particularly apt connection to Dark Horse Records, the independent label George founded in 1974. Created as a home for artists and music beyond the traditional record-label system, Dark Horse reflected George's appetite for creative freedom and collaboration. Today, it is run by Dhani in partnership with BMG, continuing to celebrate his father’s musical legacy while introducing catalogues to new generations.
To mark the launch, Niwaki’s Chiltern Street store will host a Dark Horse Records pop-up from October 26 to November 1. An extremely limited selection of rare vinyl from the label’s archives will be available, featuring records by George and Dhani, as well as Ravi Shankar, Joe Strummer and more. For collectors, it promises to be a particularly appealing opportunity to discover music connected by the independent spirit that George championed throughout his career.
For Dhani, the project is beautifully personal: ‘For the past 25 years, since my father's passing, my mother has been the driving force behind the near complete renovation of the gardens at Friar Park,’ Dhani says. ‘She introduced me to the brand Niwaki one year after visiting the RHS Chelsea Flower Show. Having a passion for Bonsai and Topiary myself, I immediately fell in love.’
The Friar Park x Niwaki collection will be available in limited quantities from October 12 at Niwaki’s Chiltern Street store, and online. Yet it is the vinyl that gives the collaboration its most resonant note, a real reminder that George Harrison’s creative world extended far beyond the recording studio, taking root in the gardens he loved and the music he left behind.
