Top garden designer, Sarah Eberle, is set to redesign Liverpool’s Bright Park, situated opposite Ken Dodd’s home. The theme of the design will be the well-known Psalm 23, ‘The Lord is my Shepherd’.
The six-acre park is currently overseen by Liverpool Lighthouse. Dr Tani Omideyi, chairman of Liverpool Lighthouse, said, ‘During Covid the community wanted the park to be opened up for their wellbeing.
‘I hope that people will feel whole and be able to breathe when they are here. Psalm 23 is a part of that, because it brings a sense of wholeness. The psalm is like an embrace.’
The historic park, not far from Alder Hey Hospital, currently lies opposite the home of the late comedian, Ken Dodd, who is said to have loved the park.
It was the garden of a mansion from 1767, which became the home of the Bright family in the 1800s.
Today it is the home of dog walkers and a regular forest school. It is also home to a family of foxes, tawny owls, hedgehogs, squirrels, bats and badgers.
The plan is to develop the Psalm 23 theme in the park over the coming years.
Sarah Eberle, who is the most-decorated RHS Shows designer, said that she was delighted to take up the challenge.
‘I’m very excited,’ she said. ‘The park has a real sense of peace. It functions well on a health and wellbeing level already, and as it is developed slowly, nature will do the talking. It has lots of potential.’
The park, she said, would ‘build a relationship between local people and their landscape.’
Alfie-Jean Levene, a trustee of Liverpool Lighthouse has Psalm 23 tattooed on her wrist. She said, ‘I hope that people are able to connect with the Psalm, to know that they are not alone, that there is a God that cares for them and brings them peace.’
But she added, ‘We don’t want people to feel that this is a religious place, but somewhere everyone is welcome.’
Sarah Eberle’s Psalm 23 Garden, sponsored by Bible Society, was exhibited at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show in 2021 (see photo above) and has inspired this park, along with more than 20 other gardens that have been created round the country since the Show.
Bible Society’s spokesman, Mark Woods, said, ‘We are delighted that Bright Park will become an even greater place of peace and contemplation, through its use of Psalm 23.
‘We wish Sarah, Tani and the whole team well with the project.’
