01 Mar 2025 Pat Larsen has turned his life AND his garden into art
By KD Reep
Tucked away in the heart of Conway lies a hidden gem: nearly two acres of vibrant daylilies, flourishing flowers and artistic treasures all lovingly tended by retired University of Central Arkansas art professor Pat Larsen. A labor of love cultivated over decades, Larsen’s garden is not only a sanctuary of color and creativity but also a living tribute to his wife, Patricia, who has been the inspiration that shaped his life.
that transform his gardens into a living canvas. Photos by Makenzie Evans and Stefanie Brazile.
“I was raised around gardening,” Larsen said. He grew up in Port Arthur, Texas, a Gulf Coast town about 90 miles east of Houston. “My parents had a small yard, but they raised daylilies. When I met my wife, she was blown away by what they had done, and that really inspired me. She always loves a beautiful garden.”
That passion not only led to a 56-year marriage but also blossomed into a stunning yard that boasts thousands of daylilies, and some of them are the result of Larsen’s meticulous hybridization efforts. “Hybridization is fascinating,” he said. “You cross-pollinate flowers to create a seed that carries characteristics from different plants, always hoping to discover something new and exciting.” Over the years, his efforts have led to 38 official registrations with the American Daylily Society, and most of them are named for an Arkansas theme or for some of their grandchildren. Larsen said he has had as many as 5,000 daylilies one year and as few as 1,000 in others.
The garden is more than just rows of daylilies. Hostas, impatiens and Lamium thrive in the shaded areas, offering a cool contrast to the sun-drenched brilliance of his prized daylilies. But flowers aren’t the only form of art flourishing in Larsen’s garden. As a lifelong artist, he has created and incorporated sculptural pieces, stained glass and repurposed objects into the landscape, transforming the space into a living canvas.
“I still paint in my studio, but my garden is an extension of my art,” Larsen said. “Some people refer to it as painting with flowers.” His artistic instincts led him to create and collect unique pieces that dot the landscape, including a welded sculpture salvaged from a fellow UCA professor and an array of found-object installations. “A woman once asked me what my wife’s favorite color was. I told her red. Next thing I knew, she brought over a bicycle wheel with red plates in it,” Larsen recalled with a chuckle. “I still have it today.”
Another creative endeavor he and his wife pursued was publishing a children’s book on raising daylilies. He said his love for his wife motivates him, and he has even created a walking path through the garden for her to stroll and enjoy the flowers.
“My wife is my inspiration for being outside,” Larsen explained. “She enjoys the garden, even though she’s not able to physically work in it, and she enjoys being out there so much that I wanted it to look good for her, and it’s kind of a family thing.”
Larsen’s garden even has a guardian — a partially completed sculpture he named “Gorgeous George the Garden Guard.” “It wasn’t finished, not even close,” Larsen laughed. “But we put it out there, and now it’s a part of the space.”
His journey to becoming a gardener and artist was an evolution. Born and raised in south Texas, he initially pursued a degree in industrial management at Lamar University. But after marrying Patricia, he found himself drawn to the world of art. “She was teaching, and I loved watching the interaction with students. That’s when I decided to go back to school for art,” he said. He went on to earn his Master of Fine Arts in painting, eventually making his way to UCA, where he taught for years before retiring.
Retirement, however, has been anything but idle. Larsen continues to work in his garden daily, caring for his thousands of flowers, selecting hybrids for further cultivation, and finding creative ways to keep the space alive with color and texture. Despite the physical labor involved, he finds joy in every aspect of the process. “Being outside, working with my hands, it’s just what I love to do,” he said. And through it all, his wife remains his guiding light.
For Larsen, his garden is more than a passion project; it is a legacy of love, a tribute to his wife, and a masterpiece ever in bloom. “I’ve always enjoyed things that were beautiful,” he said. “And my wife is my encouragement.”
