A Golden Glow

November 24, 2009 by ark_admin

When December rolls around for Little Rock resident Paul Guess, he is ready to spend time with his friends and family in a special place – his home in Chenal Valley.

“Christmas is such a fun time of the year, not only because of the true meaning, but also because I enjoy celebrating with my colleagues and family,” says the Des Arc native, a senior director of sales for a major pharmaceutical company. Paul hosts a party every year for all of his colleagues from the Southern region, and in preparation for the event, his house gets a full holiday makeover.

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From Magnolias to Myrtles

October 23, 2009 by ark_admin

The South is known for its lush and lovely gardens, with flowering trees and shrubs setting the framework with their glossy foliage, beautiful blooms or season-long staying power. Here in Arkansas, a wide variety of traditional favorites are locally grown and designed to flourish throughout our planting zones. We asked growers and nursery owners for some tips on working these garden icons into the home landscape.

Magnolias

The staple of the Southern garden is the magnolia tree, which Donna Pittman King, owner of Pittman Nursery Corporation and Garden Center in Magnolia, and her family have been growing for four generations. She notes that Magnolia “Grandiflora,” or Southern Magnolia, is the classic, wide tree with glossy, evergreen leaves, fragrant blossoms and branches that extend all the way to the ground. Varieties like “Little Gem” can be planted in more compact areas, and newer hybrids have been developed that bloom earlier and last longer.

King recommends loose, moist, acid soil for planting, noting that the trees prefer full sunlight but can grow in shade. “Typically, they’ll grow more slowly in shade, and magnolias are not fast growers to begin with,” she adds, “and they do best in well-drained soil.” No matter the size or variety, King suggests that their elegant leaves and sculptural shapes make them a must for a true Southern garden. “The foliage is attractive in any landscape, and an added benefit is the beautiful flowers,” she says.

Crape Myrtles

“Think of a formal allee of these graceful, beautiful trees with a large, umbrella-like canopy of blooms,” says Donna Bemis, owner of Bemis Tree Farm on the outskirts of Little Rock. “That’s the classic Southern garden use, and they make a great accent tree when placed near a seating area or a window with a view.”

Of the 10 varieties grown on their farm, Bemis recommends the “Natchez White” crape myrtle as a regional icon. “All of the varieties do well in our state,” she adds. “They’re a tough tree, fairly fast growing and can survive most conditions.”

Bemis notes that the most critical element in establishing a new tree is adequate watering for the first few years. “Make sure you water them deeply, twice a week, for the first three summers,” she says. “After that, they should do fine with just moderate water, and they don’t like to be too wet.”

Hydrangeas

Known for their large, round flower heads, the “Nikko Blue” hydrangea is a perennial Southern favorite, notes Jeb Leggett, owner of Custom Landscape & Nursery in Mt. Vernon. “It’s one of the oldest varieties and can grow to be five or six feet tall, making it a mass of color in the spring.” Soil acidity determines bloom color, varying from deep blue in acid soil to pale blue or even pink in alkaline areas.

A shady setting with an eastern or northern exposure is ideal, and the plants will tolerate morning sun, says Leggett, as long as they receive adequate watering and are in a well-drained area.

While traditional varieties set buds on last season’s growth, meaning that a late freeze in the spring can limit blooms for the year, the newer varieties such as “Endless Summer” have been cultivated to bloom on new growth as well. “That increases their reliability,” says Leggett, “and allows them to bloom throughout the growing season.”

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Southern Chic

October 22, 2009 by ark_admin

“I wanted the space to be light and bright like the people who live here,” says interior designer Kevin Walsh, describing a home in Little Rock’s Heights neighborhood that he refurbished for a young family. While the 1990s home they purchased had the classic lines and gracious rooms they were looking for, the dark colors throughout it were a sharp contrast to the serene style they sought.

“They’re both outgoing and lively, but they’re also peaceful, so we simplified the design and lightened the color palette to reflect that,” says Walsh. Doing so, he adds, showcased the home’s structural beauty, including the window casings and crown molding. “The house has such strong architecture that I didn’t think it needed a lot of decoration,” he says.

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Southern History

October 22, 2009 by ark_admin

It was on a Sunday drive through downtown Fayetteville that Julie and Mike Roetzel realized, after 27 years of marriage, that they shared a secret interest in the same house. As they drove through the historic Washington-Willow neighborhood, Mike pointed to a particular yellow brick home and commented that it had always been his favorite house in town, a remark that resonated with a surprised Julie, who replied it was her favorite as well.

Serendipitously, friends who were driving with them had recently heard that the house was about to go on the market. It had been the childhood home of University of Arkansas Chancellor David Gearhart, and his family was considering selling—prompting the Roetzels to immediately decide they wanted to be the first prospective buyers to see it.

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Tradition with a Twist

October 21, 2009 by ark_admin

“For as long as I can remember,” says Blytheville native Carolyn Grisham, “I’ve wanted a white house with white columns and black shutters.” With a degree in art and graphic design from Southern Methodist University (SMU) and 25 years as senior interior designer with Club Corp in Dallas, Carolyn was ready to tackle plans for her family’s dream home in Harrison when she and her husband Bud, a land developer and native of the area, retired there 16 years ago.

The result was a 4,500-square-foot Greek Revival brick home situated in the middle of 25 acres. Surrounded by groves of natural oak, walnut and pear trees, the stately exterior of the Grisham’s home reflects the tradition of a much older past with white-washed red brick that has gently aged through the years.

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Cross Creek

September 22, 2009 by ark_admin

Last year, a little house in Fayetteville set a new record for the state. It first won an American Institute of Architects (AIA) honor award for Arkansas, then one for the Gulf Region, and ultimately moved on to the big prize: a national AIA honor award—one of only eight given across the U.S.—for a single-family custom home.

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Project Provence

September 21, 2009 by ark_admin

When interior designer Kim Brockinton and her husband decided to build a home in Little Rock’s Heights neighborhood, she envisioned a space befitting of the villages she had visited on trips to the French countryside. “I wanted to make certain this house had a real sense of authenticity,” Brockinton explains, “as though it had been transported right from a small town in the Provence region of France.” She also wanted to have ample space to entertain large groups, including her two then-teenage children and their friends, while still maintaining a sense of charm. “Now that we’re empty nesters, it’s not overwhelming for two people,” she says. And while it’s comfortable for a dinner party of 10 or 12, the residence has just as easily accommodated large house parties of 100 people.

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Going for Baroque

August 19, 2009 by ark_admin

A Little Rock couple faced a design dilemma when outfitting the master bathroom in their downtown high-rise condominium. While they enjoyed the panoramic views of the Arkansas River, Clinton Presidential Library and city skyline from the room’s expansive windows, they also wanted to maintain a sense of privacy. Similarly, though the space had modern lines, they were interested in creating the kind of luxurious retreat they had enjoyed during hotel stays in Paris. So they turned to interior designer Bill Beringer for assistance in creating a space that emphasizes the view within an elegant and relaxing setting.

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Table Service

August 18, 2009 by ark_admin

“It was summer, and I knew juicy, ripe Arkansas tomatoes were out there,” says Shane Henderson, a Little Rock chef. “Only problem was, I wasn’t sure where to go to get 20 pounds of them.”

Henderson and other area chefs found a resource to fill that gap with the newly formed Farm to Chef Network, part of the Certified Arkansas Farmers Market program which currently hosts outdoor markets in North Little Rock, Hot Springs and Searcy as well as an on-line sales component. Begun by Jody Hardin, a fifth-generation farmer at Hardin Farm in Grady, the network pairs a chef or restaurant with a local farmer with the goal of matching what the farm produces with a part of the chef’s menu.

“It gives me the chance to sit down with a farmer and talk about what we’d like to serve,” says Henderson. “We both come away better informed about what’s being produced or might be desired, the quantities, availability and timing.”

The program covers a range of food sources, from produce to livestock, a concept that Hardin believes can help bridge the gap in the local food movement and put Arkansas chefs and farmers on the cutting edge. For diners, the outcome is better access to the freshest seasonal foods, and restaurants participating in the program can showcase their involvement on their menus.

“Ultimately, we hope that this will dramatically increase commerce for our local farmers,” says Henderson, “and provide customers with high-quality dining experiences.”

Farm to Chef Network Members:
Jason Godwin, Simply the Best Catering, North Little Rock
Shane Henderson, Argenta Market, North Little Rock
Scott McGehee, Boulevard Bread Company, ZaZa, Little Rock
Lee Richardson, Capital Hotel, Little Rock
For updated listings, visit www.arkansasfood.net/chef.php

Farm to Table Recipes from Chef Shane Henderson

The first two recipes are for a Saturday night get-together, the last is for breakfast the next morning, and all feature produce you can find this fall at Arkansas farmers markets.

Sweet Potato Soup
Apple Salad
Butternut Squash Pancakes

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Nursery Suite

July 28, 2009 by ark_admin

Eden Moody may be only 17 months old, but she’s already developed an appreciation for original art. “We’ll peek in her room and find her awake in her crib, looking at the painted ceiling,” says her mother, Angela, which is just what she and her husband, Edward, had in mind when they envisioned Eden’s nursery.

Seeking a space that would soothe the senses, Angela began by giving the walls a soft, old-world finish. A duo of Hot Springs-based artisans took on the transformation, with Spring Cottage Designs applying a pearl-finish paint treatment to the walls to add a subtle sheen and painter Eric Maurus following with a cherub-inspired mural on the ceiling. “Something peaceful for Eden to gaze up at was our goal,” says Angela. “Plus it was important that her nursery fit with the rest of our house, which has European influences.”

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A Golden Glow