Chelsea’s flower power in tribute to Beatle George Harrison and Capital of Culture

May 20 2008 by Liam Murphy, Liverpool Daily Post

RINGO STARR joined George Harrison’s widow to unveil a garden in the Beatle’s memory at the Chelsea Flower Show.

The 67-year-old drummer arrived in Harrison’s 1966 red mini with Formula One racing ace Damon Hill at the wheel.

The former Beatle was visiting one of two Liverpool-inspired gardens that were showcased at the prestigious show yesterday.

Starr kept his sunglasses on as he walked through the garden – called From Life to Life, A Garden For George – and laughed and joked with other guests, including Harrison’s widow, Olivia, Beatles manager Sir George Martin and musician Jools Holland.

From Life to Life, named after lyrics in George Harrison’s song It’s All Too Much, is inspired by the Beatle who was also a dedi-cated and talented landscape gardener. It is divided into four areas to represent his life, start-ing with his post-war boyhood in Liverpool and featuring an old children’s bike, weed-strewn grass and reference to his father’s allotment.

The 1960s are represented with colourful flowers and a huge glass sun with the lyrics to Here Comes The Sun on it. Later years are re-flected in tranquil mossy lawns and a spiritual scented garden and pavilion, linked by a multi-coloured mosaic path.

Sir George Martin said of the garden: “I think it’s fantastic. It’s completely George – it’s wonderful.”

Actress Sue Johnston and Cul-ture guru Phil Redmond unveiled the city’s Mr Roscoe’s garden in Chelsea’s Grand Pavilion.

The Harrison garden includes the Three Graces picked out in mosaic, and a homage to the guitarist’s upbringing in Wavertree’s Arnold Grove.

Earlier, Brookside and Waking the Dead star Sue Johnston open-ed the Liverpool garden – the first time the city has exh ibited at Chelsea for 38 years. She said: “It’s stunning and great to be involved in Chelsea. I love the exotic nature of the garden.”

Phil Redmond added: “Capital of Culture, it’s about reminding everybody of what Liverpool was, is, and can be.”

The garden attracted well-wishers including actress Patricia Routledge, chef Antonio Carluc-cio, Sir Trevor McDonald and the President of the Royal Horticul-tural Society.

The BBC has created a film about William Roscoe and Liver-pool’s Botanical Collection which will be shown 8-9pm tomorrow.

Jyll Bradley, whose Capital of Culture project, Fragrant, insp- ired the garden, said: “William Roscoe was founder of Liverpool culture. This shows his achievements.”

Mr Roscoe’s Garden highlights the city’s botanical collection and Capital of Culture year and cele-brates the work and spirit of the poet, politician and botanist, who founded Liverpool’s acclaimed collection in 1903.

The garden features more than 70 types of plant, including the Roscoea, which is named after Roscoe himself.