where they raise cutting
horses; they have another
ranch in Warsaw, North
Carolina. Sheri Matthews
is a writer and raises bor-der
collies. She’s originally
from California. Jeffrey
Matthews’ roots are in
Duplin County, North
Carolina. In addition, the
Matthews grow woody
ornamentals at their Old
Courthouse Nursery in
Warsaw. Their home
on Figure Eight Island
reflects a combination of
the southwestern land-scape
of Texas and the
subtropical landscape
of southeastern, coastal
North Carolina. They
designed the garden for
outdoor spaces
seamless indoor-outdoor
living.
The lot was a blank
slate when Jeffrey
Matthews purchased it.
“He set his claim with
an American flag and
went to it,” Parker says.
Matthews says, “I
wanted a private, shaded,
little oasis. The old beach
houses were small —
that’s what I wanted, too.
We hauled the topsoil
up from Duplin County,
maybe three or four
hundred yards of it,”
he adds. “We hauled so
many truckloads of soil in
here; I think Figure Eight
Island changed the haul-ing
rules after we finished
Tennessee mountain stone walks lead
into the back garden. A waterfall at
the top of the pond, top right, soothes
and blocks unwanted noise on the
adjacent waterway. Bottom right,
benches are scattered throughout for
garden enjoyment.
65
WBM