A GEORGE Harrison Memorial Garden recently opened in honour of the late Beatles musician at the Hare Krishna temple near Radlett has resulted in a surge of visitors to the site.
Among those attending the official opening of the garden were Olivia Harrison, friends, family and BBC presenters Monty Don and Peter Owen-Jones.
The garden opened to coincide with the 40th anniversary of Bhaktivedanta Manor, an estate which George Harrison gave to his Hare Krishna friends in 1973.
A spokesman for the temple explained that when George died in 2001, the manor resolved to create a quiet garden in his memory.
He added: “News of its opening has been seeping out and there has been an increase in visitors enjoying the pleasant surroundings. There is a real feel-good factor there.”
George was a skilled gardener who became interested in horticulture later in life. Some of the plants he particularly loved were maples, birch, ferns, grasses and Japanese anemones.
The new garden is designed in the shape of an octagon, with pathways passing through each of its eight points, which have various creative features including mosaics and statues.
At the opening ceremony Olivia said: “George was not a perfectionist, but he did have the ability to see the potential in gardens. Admittedly the creation of this garden has stopped and started a few times, but that just reflects life and the stages we go through in our own journeys.”
Monty said he was honoured to open the garden to enable members of the public to share George’s love of gardening and deep spirituality.
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