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City Oasis

July 19, 2018 by Stephanie Maxwell Newton

A European-inspired poolside retreat offers a quiet place to escape

When Melissa Hixson and her now-husband, Walter, moved to Little Rock three years ago, it didn’t take them long to find a house that felt just right. Having lived all over the country (most recently in Dallas), Melissa was happy and surprised to find a home in Arkansas that reminded her so much of some of her favorite travels abroad. “Our real estate agent showed us one house we thought we were interested in, but we didn’t think it was the one,” Melissa recalls. “Then he said, ‘There’s another I can show you, probably my favorite house in the Heights.’ Twenty minutes later, we bought the house.”…

The Place for Play

July 1, 2018 by Tiffany Adams

A blank-slate backyard undergoes a massive transformation, complete with spaces for both kids and kids at heart to enjoy and an abundance of colorful plantings

Good friends are hard to find and even harder to leave. That’s one of the reasons the owners of this west Little Rock home have stayed in a community filled with dear friends for almost 25 years “We built in this neighborhood in the mid-1990s. We had a group of six friends, and, at the time, we were all looking for a place to land. We decided to develop a new area of this neighborhood along the ridge,” the homeowner says….

A Lasting Impact

June 11, 2018 by Stephanie Maxwell Newton

Make a statement in your outdoor area with container plantings that will thrive through the summer and fall

“Containers are one of the most under-utilized garden features,” says David Munsey III, general manager of Little Rock’s Better Lawns & Gardens. “You don’t need a lot of them to start with; you can make a big impact, colorwise, with just one or two plantings. Plus, they are less expensive than planting a bed and can be used in small spaces or apartments,” he adds….

Form & Flora

May 4, 2018 by Stephanie Maxwell Newton

Creating a floral arrangement can be intimidating. Much like keeping houseplants alive, a lot of people just assume they don’t have a knack for it. But according to Mary Grace McCauley at Pigmint Floral Studio in Fayetteville, anyone can master the art—you just need to know the basics and give it a try. Next time you’re faced with a bunch of stems and an empty vase, call on Mary Grace’s words of wisdom to guide you to a gorgeous arrangement.

STEP 1: Go Green
“The most important step is ‘greening the vase,’ because that builds your support for your flower arrangement,” Mary Grace says. To accomplish this, she alternates laying stems of salal and Italian Ruscus, Pigmint’s signature greens, across the vessel. “You want to think about building an armature that’s going to hold up your flower stems,” she says….

Southern Beauty

March 29, 2018 by Tiffany Adams

Leslie Pender has a penchant for historical homes and gardens—most notably her own. The Heights home she shares with her husband, Jim, has previously graced the pages of At Home in Arkansas, prompting us to wonder what was behind the iron gates of her garden. Pender took us on a tour to share how both the past and the present play a role in her beloved outdoor space.

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The Strong, Simple Type

December 22, 2017 by Tiffany Adams

Low on maintenance yet high on style, succulent plantings are an easy way to bring a bit of nature indoors

During the often-dreary days of winter, the smallest pops of green can remind us of the seasons of growth that lay ahead. Succulents, a group of plants characterized by their thick water-storing leaves and minimal requirements for care, prove to be a perfect planting for this time of year. Floral designer Alex Hudson of Tanarah Luxe Floral created this combination by mixing varied styles, shapes, and sizes. “If you have small-headed plants that are very textural then you will want to add in some smooth-textured plants to provide balance and give the eye a rest,” he says of the process….

Christmas in the Making

December 1, 2017 by Stephanie Maxwell Newton

Floral designer Chris Norwood of Tipton & Hurst teaches us how to layer colorful elements—many of which you can find in your yard—to create a seasonal wreath. Here’s his step-by-step formula to bring a little cheer to your front door.

1 Start with a Grapevine Base
“Many people try to use floral forms, but grapevine wreaths are versatile and make a great base that can be reused,” Norwood says. He also notes that they allow for elements of your design to be easily woven into the scheme without the aid of wire.

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Gourd-geous!

October 25, 2017 by Tiffany Adams

Silks A Bloom designers use a contemporary palette and textured cuttings to create a fresh-floral centerpiece for the season

Don’t let the name fool you—the professionals at Silks A Bloom are becoming one of central Arkansas’s hottest vendors for fresh-floral event design. “Our customers loved working with us and encouraged us to branch out to include designs with fresh-cut flowers a while back,” says co-owner and designer Dale Aldridge. “Now, many people are surprised to learn we’re more than just silks,” he adds of the shop’s event floral service….

Contain Yourself

September 27, 2017 by Stephanie Maxwell Newton

Jennifer Gibson at The Good Earth Garden Center provides all you need to know about planting mixed containers meant for Arkansas autumns

For transitional seasons with hard-to-predict weather patterns, container planting offers the appeal of low-maintenance landscaping. “I think people tend to be a little intimidated by doing containers, but it’s a matter of simple balance and contrast,” Jennifer Gibson of Little Rock’s The Good Earth Garden Center says. “The key is to bring contrasting foliage colors and textures together to maximize visual interest.”

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1 Backyard, 5 Outdoor Rooms

July 18, 2017 by Norma Edwards

Defined areas for enjoying nature dot this Little Rock backyard—making it the perfect spot to unwind almost year-round

It’s often said that word of mouth is the best advertisement one can receive. In this West Little Rock neighborhood, perhaps the term should be altered to sight of garden. “There’s a group of sweet friends who all live in this mountaintop neighborhood. I worked with the homeowners across the street and the ones next door, and they led me to help this couple,” landscape designer Chris H. Olsen of Botanica Gardens says.

When the homeowners contacted Olsen they were looking to update their front and back lawns to make them more current and practical for everyday use. The backyard had an existing deck but it was in need of repair and stopped short of taking full advantage of the view of Chenal Mountain as well as creating a space for year-round enjoyment.

In talking with the couple, Olsen learned they were social people who enjoyed entertaining and gathering, and he felt they could benefit from an outdoor area that gave them multiple opportunities to do so. He planned out five defined spaces: a covered porch off the home’s back entrance, a dining area, a sitting area, a covered nook, and an open pavilion on the exterior side of the double-sided fireplace.

To soften the new hardscaping, Olsen added an abundance of filled-to-the-brim containers. “My philosophy on containers is to shove it and cram it full,” laughs Olsen of his more is more approach to garden color. “I want it to look like a living floral arrangement,” he adds. Olsen also wanted the pots to be low-maintenance. He chose heat-tolerant, sun-loving plants along with several evergreen selections for a durable mix that would last from late spring all the way through fall with a few updates. They also installed a drip irrigation system that is woven through the decking into the containers, making the plants easy to water.

“If you create a destination, you’re going to use your backyard more,” Olsen says. “Before there was a lot of dead space, but now there are zones they can enjoy every day.”

Design Resources
Contractor Botanica Gardens
Landscape and fireplace design Chris H. Olsen, Botanica Gardens
Accessories—containers, fountain, lighting, millwork, and plants Botanica Gardens

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City Oasis

The Place for Play

A Lasting Impact

Form & Flora

Southern Beauty

The Strong, Simple Type

Christmas in the Making

Gourd-geous!

Contain Yourself

1 Backyard, 5 Outdoor Rooms

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