Date:  May 2, 2025  |   Story: Tiffany Adams  |   Photography: Rett Peek  |   Styling: Angela Alexander  |  

In Little Rock, landscape designer Chris H. Olsen accents a natural outdoor area with the season’s best and brightest

“The fuller, the better.” That’s the philosophy landscape and outdoor living expert Chris H. Olsen takes when designing flower beds and container plantings. For this couple, in particular, he wanted to accent their home’s natural setting and stone hardscaping with annuals and perennials that would stand up to hot summer temperatures and stand out in terms of color.

To play to the home’s Frank Lloyd Wright-inspired architecture, breathtaking views of the Arkansas River and Pinnacle Mountain, and wooded setting, Chris opted for a conifer garden and mass groupings of plantings that bring in texture and color for maximum visual interest. “There’s a lot of space so we were able to put together different looks,” he says of the beds that line the driveway, surround the pond, and bloom by the poolside. While hardiness and hues played heavily into the selections, the couple’s western travels to Colorado and Oregon, where they had seen similar plantings mix seamlessly with the property, also influenced the design. “For them, the most important thing is not only to enjoy the landscape when they are out walking their dogs, but also to enjoy it visually when looking out from the interiors,” Chris says.

While the pool and hardscape were existing, the client’s interior designer, Chris Goddard, selected furniture and containers that align with the home’s overall aesthetic.

Upon arrival at the home, guests are welcomed to the front door via a walkway surrounding a koi pond and rock ledge fountain. Here, Chris mimicked many of the plantings that line the drive for continuity and also added in shade-loving caladiums.

Bountiful Beds
In a space that transitions from the wooded property to the driveway, Chris opted for wildflowers that appear as though they could be native to the setting. An English Columnar Oak tree and dwarf holly bushes give green color that is accented with the vivid plantings.

The covered porch’s dining table is a shaded respite with equally enchanting views of the surrounding landscape. Beds around the property echo the design with colorful plantings that fill the entire space.

Design Resources
Contractor Nabholz Construction Landscape design Chris H. Olsen, Botanica Gardens Outdoor Furnishings Goddard Design Group Pond Mark Gibson, Green Thumb Water Garden Center Pool Brooks Pools Stone Bennett Bros. Stone Co.