Known as the male Martha Stewart, television star and gardening expert P. Allen Smith makes his home in Little Rock, dividing his time between his city cottage in Quapaw Quarter and his country retreat at Moss Mountain Farm. Though you can’t take a peek at Stewart’s home, you can visit Smith’s farm — and even meet the host of P. Allen Smith Gardens and P. Allen Smith’s Garden Home in person. Even better, if you stay at The Peabody Little Rock during your farm trip, you’ll receive special rates.
The comprehensive P. Allen Smith Garden Home Tour will bring you throughout his Greek Revival house and the gardens that grace the property, and provide you with lunch or dinner. The home itself looks like it’s been standing for a century, but it’s just four years old. It’s been carefully constructed to blend in with its surroundings and to utilize the most environmentally friendly building methods possible. Throughout the home, you’ll spy Smith’s collection of pre-1830 handcrafted and unique furniture, along with his own paintings and sketches (you might even recognize some of the ideas and designs from his popular PBS shows).
Just outside, the grand pin oak tree known as Big Sister — one of the Seven Sister oaks on the property — dates back more than 300 years. And accompanying flower and vegetable gardens are always harvesting different foliage and produce as the seasons change. You’ll want to walk through Smith’s newly opened rose garden, which is full of American noisette buds. The neatly tailored oval garden is based on two properties in Charleston, S.C. After guiding you through the sprawling grounds, the tour ends with a fine meal — prepared from recipes in Smith’s own Seasonal Recipes from the Garden cookbook.
To snag a spot on the tour, guests at The Peabody Little Rock can book it through the concierge; special hotel rates are available for those who wish to visit Moss Mountain Farm. Or call the farm directly at 501-376-1894.
