Two rounds of improvements—first construction and hardscaping, then color and soft furnishings—bring a whole new life to this beloved backyard
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Front Porch Panache
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
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.
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Know Before You Grow
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. >>>
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Feels Like Fall
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!”
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Weekend Retreat
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.”
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City Oasis
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.”
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The Place for Play
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
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A Lasting Impact
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.
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Form & Flora
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.
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