This month I took a lunch tour of P Allen Smith’s Moss Mountain Farm in Roland, Arkansas. It was a grand experience full of lots of education and garden design ideas. The tour was a full four hours long and included a tour of his home, one-acre vegetable garden, rose garden, the guest cottage, and his poultry area. The area had a frost the week of our visit, so there was definite damage to some of the plants, nevertheless, what remained of the garden and fall decor was still breathtaking!
The home is a recent build, however, it mimics the style of a historic traditional farmhouse. The hardwood floors and millwork are beautiful as well as his curated collection of art and books galore. I love the seasonal gourds, fruits, and dried botanicals in use for decoration and seasonal arrangements.
The gardens incorporate lines of symmetry and a mix of plants in the beds and containers. The fall foliage of the native trees only added to the beauty of his landscape. P Allen Smith’s Moss Mountain Farm has a couple of miles of Arkansas River frontage and the garden and home design showcase the view from many different angles.
I did enjoy the tour of the poultry area despite my fear of birds, as all of the ducks, geese, and chickens were in their pens enjoying life. P. Allen Smith founded the Heritage Poultry Conservancy to maintain and improve the genetics of endangered heritage breeds. It’s a fascinating program and I have never seen so many different breeds of chickens and geese.
This Ginkgo tree is growing outside his art studio and is stunning in the fall. I’m putting this on my list to plant next year.
P. Allen Smith also has a drying room for all of his botanicals, such as this string of overgrown okra pods.
If you have time to go tour P. Allen Smith’s Moss Mountain Farm you must go. The tickets are $95, however, a delicious lunch and dessert are included. I plan to go back in the spring to see his 450,000 daffodils in bloom!
