Proposed by: Little Rock Garden Club, Zone IX

Alice Walton is a visionary thinker who has contributed enormously to the advancement of horticulture, conservation, and the arts in Arkansas and the nation. An avid art collector, Alice envisioned Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art as a celebration of art and of the Ozark forest she had loved since her childhood. The museum complex was carefully planned to ensure that the ecology of the site was protected and over 450 native species remained undisturbed. The land surrounding the museum captures and preserves the Arkansas landscape. Since the museum’s opening in November 2011, more than 200,000 native plants and their cultivars have been added to the 100 acres of native forest, walking trails, and groomed gardens, creating one of the largest native plant settings in the region. Glass-walled corridors between galleries entice art lovers outside to wander the paths, to discover art installations, and to appreciate the beauty of the Ozarks.