A weathered coyote fence — honed cedar logs lashed
together with twisted, copper wire — draws the eye
to a nearby gate. Visitors to this Figure Eight Island
beach retreat are summoned into a side yard entrance,
lured by an irregular pathway laid with Tennessee
mountain stone. The elements of this Southeast-by-
Southwest garden begin to present themselves in
weathered wood and rock. Along this outdoor hallway
shaded by palms, the eye is directed toward a final
destination beyond this dimly lit tunnel.
W
ATERFALLS SPLASH. BIRDS SING.
The senses are flooded
from a central vantage
point with vistas and more
stone pathways opening
in all directions. Veined
in rich, mossy green, one
path offers a glimpse of
the water; another pre-views
the pool. Even so,
all is not yet revealed.
From the house, the full
experience of the peaceful
scene, water, dock and
hammock awaits. Turn
around, and the treat-ment
is a textbook study
in asymmetrical balance.
Walk through another
gate and be transported
to Barbados or the West
64
WBM august 2012
Indies; the ceiling fans in
the loggia only add to the
lazy ambience surrounded
by palms — pindo palms,
palmettos, sago and
Washington palms. The
number is staggering.
“The only reason we
stopped planting palms is
because Florida ran out
of them,” jokes landscape
designer Tony Parker of
Classic Landscapes. He
designed, installed and
maintains the plantings
for homeowners Jeffrey
and Sheri Matthews.
The Matthews reside
in Weatherford, Texas,
for most of the year,