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Dreaming in Color

July 2, 2020 by Stephanie Maxwell Newton

The owners of the Symphony Designer House XXV have spent more than a decade following their vision to cultivate awe-inspiring gardens and outdoor areas

After years of living in a neighborhood near the city’s center and renting a garden plot at Little Rock’s Two Rivers Park, Leslie and Dr. C.D. Williams were thrilled to find a “for sale” sign on 40 acres in west Little Rock. With two houses, a pond, and an abundance of land, they knew their days of hauling shovels and seed to their small community beds were over. “This place really took my breath away when I first saw it,” Leslie recalls.

However, at that time, the grounds were not finished; there was only limited landscape around the main house and guesthouse as well as the pond. “I had great visions for this place, and they grew,” Leslie says. After needed updates, such as paving the road and adding pin oak trees for shade in the backyard, the Williamses installed a raised bed garden. “I spent all my days—probably 40 hours a week—working in the yard,” Leslie says of her drive to bring the vision to life….

Colorful Containers

April 26, 2020 by Stephanie Maxwell Newton

Chris H. Olsen shares tips to fill your planters with seasonal color you can enjoy until fall

“Containers are like living floral arrangements,” says landscape designer Chris H. Olsen. “They can bring color, texture, and scent to any space.” However, you don’t want to keep planting and replanting different combinations throughout the season; it’s much more attractive to find a format that works and will thrive with a little upkeep.

Chris notes that in the South the foliage will hold its color until the first frost, meaning you can get a lot of mileage—and eye candy—out of one planting if you play your cards right. One of the biggest challenges comes in knowing when to water, especially in the heat of the summer. Chris advises checking pots daily and watering when soil feels dry. However, if you can only water every other day, then at least be consistent. “Put yourself on a schedule and stick to it,” he says.

Chris also notes the importance of fertilizing. “Miracle-Gro is my secret. I use it every four to five weeks; there’s a 500 percent difference in the lushness of these plantings,” he says, adding that a lot of plants burn out in mid-summer because they have leeched all the nutrients from their soil. Read on for four more tips to container garden success….

Season to Taste

December 30, 2019 by Stephanie Maxwell Newton

Add flavor from the garden in the dreariest of months by caring for your herb plants—indoors and out

Much like the rest of nature, outdoor herb plants need a rest during the winter months. “They need a dormant period—just like the trees and shrubs,” says Sharon Reed of Little Rock’s Cantrell Gardens. She notes that in order for them to thrive again, these plants must take a break following the heat of the summer….

Hillside Hideaway

September 26, 2019 by intern

Multiple spots for reflection and year-round color are highlights of this Little Rock landscape

After 34 years in her previous home in Little Rock, Libby Bunch had been itching to move back to her childhood neighborhood. “My husband, Lewis, and I come to the Hillcrest Farmers Market down the street every Saturday, and I grew up in this area,” she says. So when they got their chance to build on a lot across from dear friends, they jumped at it. …

Twice as Nice

July 29, 2019 by Stephanie Maxwell Newton

Two rounds of improvements—first construction and hardscaping, then color and soft furnishings—bring a whole new life to this beloved backyard

The backyard Liz Johnson describes from when she and her family moved into their home seven years ago bears little resemblance to the place they cherish today. The steps from the back door led to a small cement landing and a pool with concrete surround. “We had several different architects and landscapers come over to ask them, What do we do with this space?” Liz says. Little Rock’s Burt Taggart, III, of Taggart Design Group had the solution: Build a deck over the cement and elevate much of the living space—including a pergola-covered sitting area, bar and outdoor kitchen, and flagstone fireplace—on a landing a few steps above the pool….

Front Porch Panache

July 2, 2019 by Stephanie Maxwell Newton

A west Little Rock couple transforms the façade of their home with help from landscape designer Chris H. Olsen

After building their home in the 1990s, the owners of this west little rock house were ready to update its exterior. Not only did they want to make it feel more current, they desired a place where they could sit on the front porch to visit with neighbors and enjoy the beauty of a flower garden. Designer Chris H. Olsen of Botanica Gardens had worked with them on the home’s landscape decades before, so it was a natural choice to call on him when it was time to make these updates.

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Spring Picks

April 29, 2019 by Stephanie Maxwell Newton

Hannah Taylor of Fayetteville’s Fleurish Floral Studio brings spring indoors with bouquet inspiration

“I do a little bit of farming, a little bit of design, and a little bit of events. It’s a fun mix,” Hannah Taylor says. After opening her Fayetteville boutique flower farm and floral design company, Fleurish Floral Studio, two years ago, the Northwest Arkansas native is finding her niche in multiple areas….

Know Before You Grow

December 30, 2018 by Stephanie Maxwell Newton

Houseplant Handbook: Here’s the 411 on popular indoor plant varieties and maintenance

While houseplants are an easy way to bring life to your home décor, they have the reputation for being not-so-easy to keep alive. At least, that’s the myth that David Kirkpatrick from Cabbage Rose Florist in Little Rock says should be dispelled. “Plants just like a routine,” he explains. “When you overwater, then underwater, then change things around, that’s where houseplants get temperamental. It’s like a child—the more you keep to a schedule, the better they do,” he says. The eight plants listed here are great for first-timers—just remember to set a schedule and stick to it. >>>…

Feels Like Fall

November 2, 2018 by Stephanie Maxwell Newton

Seasonal Statement: Welcome guests with fall foliage and accents that can easily transition to winter months

Jennifer Gibson of Little Rock’s Good Earth Garden Center says the front-door display at coworker Billie Shields’s house has been on Billie’s to-do list for some time. “She has always wanted a pumpkin fall entrance, and this is the first house she’s lived in where she could do it,” Jennifer says. “And if you are going to have an eye-catching pumpkin display, you need the rest of the accents to complement it!”…

Weekend Retreat

September 6, 2018 by Stephanie Maxwell Newton

Thanks to an amenity-filled backyard there’s no need for this family of five to head out of town for a getaway

Sometimes the greatest escape is one nearby. Case in point: Angie and Hunter McMillen’s Little Rock backyard. “We had a boat, and we enjoyed going to the lake, but we didn’t have a lake house,” Hunter says. “I thought, ‘One day I will have a house there, and I’ll enjoy boating all day and not having to drive back home, but until then let’s sell the boat and build a pool and get our priorities right. Now, we use this more than we ever used our boat.”…

Dreaming in Color

Colorful Containers

Season to Taste

Hillside Hideaway

Twice as Nice

Front Porch Panache

Spring Picks

Know Before You Grow

Feels Like Fall

Weekend Retreat

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