Take a moment and daydream. Think back to the 1960s: Ed Sullivan on television, mini skirts, shiny new Ford Mustangs and four moptops from England singing their way into America’s teenage hearts. The 1960s were a time of change, and music an evolving culture. The British Invasion stormed the United States, with the Beatles as frontrunners, and teenagers were divided on who they liked best—John, Paul, George or Ringo. Is there a way to bring back those memories and travel back in time? With a few aptly-named plants and a little help from your friends, you can create your very own Beatles garden.

While gardening in the Front Range can be challenging because of temperature fluctuations, infrequent precipitation and gale-force winds, creating a Beatles theme garden is possible. . You could become the talk of the neighborhood with ‘The McCartney Rose’, a lovely pink-blossom hybrid tea begging everyone to smell the fragrant flowers. The McCartney Rose is hardy to zone 5, but will need extra winter protection to survive cold, dry Colorado winters. Or perhaps you want to sail away with the soft yellow blossoms from the ‘Yellow Submarine’ rose, hardy to zone 4. This rose is part of the “Easy Elegance” series, bred for disease resistance, hardiness and color. When John Lennon wrote “Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds,” his lyrics eluded to flowers that “grow so incredibly high.” Not the case with ‘Marmalade Skies’ rose, hardy to zone 5. This 3’ x 3’ plant has tangerine-colored blooms and flowers prolifically. If you’d like to pay tribute George Harrison, try the rose ‘Harison’s Yellow.’

If roses have you screaming, “Help!” there are many other plants that are named in honor of, or resemble, the famous quartet. Hosta, well-known shade plants, must be bred by Beatle fans. Check out ‘Revolution’ and ‘Yellow Submarine’, both hardy to zone 3. If daylilies are a favorite, try ‘Magical Mystery’ or ‘Strawberry Fields Forever’—these plants won’t let you down. If you’d like to add your own mop top to the garden, try Carex ‘The Beatles’, a 3” tall ornamental grass with dark green foliage. Think Paul was cute? Grow this—the plant is hardy to zone 5 and adorable doesn’t even begin to describe it.

If you want your garden to scream, “Yeah! Yeah! Yeah!” use vibrant annuals to create a riot of color. ‘Strawberry Fields Forever’ gomphrena, a drought-tolerant plant, blooms continually all summer and adds 24-36” tall pinkish-red globe flowers to the garden. The Ringo 2000 geranium series come in a multitude of colors and are wonderful garden plants. ‘Penny Lane’ violas, although not hardy, tolerate colder temperatures and add color in early spring. A spring-planted bulb (requiring digging each fall) is dahlia ‘Caproz John Lennon.’ This flower has spiky cream flowers and might just remind you of “yellow matter custard” from one of John’s tongue-tripping lyrics.

What would the Beatles have been without the steady drumbeat of Ringo? He was, of course, the lead singer of “Octopus’s Garden,” and wouldn’t we all like to be, “…under the sea, in an octopus’s garden in the shade?” Surprisingly, Ringo plants are easy to find! Try planting drumstick allium, a spring-blooming bulb planted in the fall. Stargazer lilies not only smell delightful, but they pay homage to the bejeweled drummer. The tall bearded iris ‘Ringo’ is a striking purple and white color combination and will surely add character to your garden. ‘Drummer Boy’ dahlia might remind you of a holiday song, but planted in a Beatles garden makes perfect sense.

If you need areas to “Come Together” for gatherings, create open spaces named after Beatles tunes. You could design Apple Records near your fruiting trees, or Strawberry Fields sprawled out across your lawn. Have a long and winding road? Rename it Penny Lane or Abbey Road. You could design a flag garden with colors of both the American and British flag. If you like garden texture, create “A Hard Day’s Night” with plants with interesting or unique foliage. Another possibility is to make a garden from all white or silver plants, and plant your own “White Album.” Or design a tranquil, serene spot with slowly moving water to just “Let it Be” at the end of the day.

Whether you’re a 1960s child at heart, or you just love the music of the Fab Four, you can have fun creating your garden with images of the Beatles dancing before your eyes. George said it best, “…It’s been a long, cold, lonely winter.” Here comes the sun, indeed! Pull on your bell-bottoms, crank up the record player, and head outside to garden to your own tune, Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da.

Note from the author: Many of the above plants may not be available at local garden centers, but can be ordered from the internet or garden catalogs. The attached photo of Marmalade Skies rose was taken by Alison Stoven at the Portland International Rose Test Gardens, June, 2006.

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This page updated:  July 3, 2006