ARKANSAS TRAVELS, Day 6, June 6, 2012

Once again, we had breakfast in the charming Venetian Room at the Arlington. Our waiter was a college student and was named Stefan, and due to the very German spelling of his name, I inquired further about his story and learned that he had taken German for four years in high school, and that he was of German origin. We talked several times, as he brought food back and forth. He seemed eager to get his career going and is interested in both art and computer. We wished him well before we left on our foray to the Garvan Gardens. Verna Cook Garvan, a long-time resident of southern Arkansas, was founder and benefactor of Garvan Woodland Gardens. She married a gentleman from an affluent family in NYC, but the couple made their home in Hot Springs, and her husband and she were involved in several businesses, among which was the Malvern Brick and Tile Company. Ms. Garvan eventually assumed control of the company as one of the first female CEOs of a major southern manufacturing business, and served in that capacity until her retirement on the 70s. The site for the Garvan Woodland Gardens was purchased in the 1920s after a timber clearcut in about 1915. Ms. Garvan loved the place so much that she never allowed it to be cut again. In 1956, as a self-taught gardener, she began to develop it as a garden and possible future residence. She was intimately familiar with the land and laid out each path, marking every tree to be removed. She also personally chose each new plant and selected its location. Over the next 40 years, Ms. Garvan planted thousands of specimens which now form an impressive collection. There are hundreds of rare shrubs and trees, some more than 40 years old, including camellias, magnolias, and more than 160 different types of azaleas. Nearby sits a pavilion designed by nationally acclaimed architect E. Fay Jones and his business partner Maurice Jennings. Japanese maples and tree peonies serve as an introduction to the Japanese-inspired Garden of the Wind. Rock gardens, a conifer border, and a growing number of bulbs and perennials complete the collection, providing interest throughout the year. Upon her death in 1993, Ms. Garvan left the property to the Department of Landscape Architecture through the University of Arkansas Foundation, a private, non-profit entity created to sustain university programs. Now an independent department of the University Fay Jones School of Architecture, the Gardens continue to flourish and grow through the support of the Arkansas Legislature, Arkansas Natural and Cultural Resources Council, Arkansas Economic Development Commission, many generous private donors, and more than 3500 members. It was Ms. Garvan's wish that the gardens be used to educate and serve the public, providing people the joy and repose it had offered her. We spent virtually the entire day there, going to the St. Anthony Chapel and Carillon; the Great Lawn and several extensive promenades; a children's adventure garden, the Garden of the Pine Wood; a model train garden, a bonsai garden, and especially, in the afternoon hours, we walked the entire two-mile Hixson Nature Preserve, located on a dual peninsula just north of the Garden's main trails. Visitors learn about the woodland environment from educational displays placed along the way. Before walking the Hixson, we had a good, nourishing lunch at the Chipmunk Cafe--a wonderful avocado, lettuce and tomato sandwich. After the Hixson we both enjoyed a fruit popsicle. Sitting at the Visitor Center, on a deck overlooking the gardens, was a wonderful experience, and all cares simply floated away in the afternoon sun. Very fine! On the way to our next venue, dinner at Fisherman's Wharf on Lake Hamilton, we got somewhat lost, but eventually located that restaurant. It overlooks the lake and opened in the spring of 2001. It was an instant hit with locals and tourists alike. The menu offered a wide selection of seafood dishes, grilled steaks, classic sandwiches and burgers, salads and pasta dishes, as well as desserts. I had a crab cake, sweet potato fries, and an order of steamed broccoli and cauliflower. We are now back at the room, and are sharing a small bottle of Pinot Grigio. Light is fading fast. One more entry tomorrow, as we leave Hot Springs and return to Dallas. A grand time altogether!