By Sonja J. Keith

Joyce and Terry Fiddler have carved out a small piece of heaven among the trees and natural surroundings at their Round Mountain home south of Conway.
“Natural” is the goal and “white” is the color scheme the Fiddlers have selected for the outdoor spaces immediately surrounding their contemporary-designed home. “The woods are shady and it reflects better,” Joyce explains.

A Master Gardener, Joyce points to the plants, shrubs and trees that they have added and today enjoy, noting some of her future plans. In the spring, the garden area at the front of the home features white azaleas with large blossoms and dogwood trees, with volunteers popping up here and there.
During the summer, there are crepe myrtles and Rose of Sharon. And, the views in the fall are incredible as the woods explode with color.
Terry has a sentimental attachment to the 9 ½ acres where the home was built – it is land that he hunted and explored growing up. “That’s why we came out here,” he said, explaining that there is a huge waterfall located behind the house.
In a similar fashion, Joyce’s passion for her garden and the outdoors comes naturally, with her grandmother – Johanna Ahne of Scranton – serving as her inspiration. “Grandma was a big garden person. She had beautiful gardens and a vegetable garden as well.”
Nestled along the side of the mountain, Terry looks out from the massive back deck to explain that typically they only hear birds chirping and squirrels chattering, but on occasion there are faint sounds from a distant train or plane.
“The silence is deafening,” according to Terry.
The couple enjoys watching the birds and squirrels and “every animal imaginable” that makes its home in the woods.
The serene setting gives not one hint of the difficulty that the Fiddlers encountered in moving to the mountain. They were just days away from moving in to their beautiful new home in 1999 when the structure burned. It was 2000 before the home could be re-built.
With those memories tucked away, like the handful of photos of the charred remains, the Fiddlers are about enjoying their family and their life on the mountain. “A lot of time” has gone not only into the planning but also the implementation of their garden spaces, according to Joyce. “She was the chief and I was the whole Indian tribe,” Terry joked.
The couple has incorporated special touches into their gardens. Joyce is especially fond of the nook and bench near the front door. “I can’t tell you how many hours I spent on this bench,” she said, explaining that she’s not sure how the space happened but she’s glad it did.
Terry points to a large pot, a wedding gift his great-grandmother received in 1879 that hung in her home’s fireplace. “We’ve carried that around forever.”
A new addition – a screened porch – has just been added to the home, creating another opportunity to enjoy the beautiful outdoors from inside the home. It is complete with a swing and hammock for relaxing.
“It’s a wonderful room,” Joyce said. “I’m thrilled.”
The Fiddlers are so fond of the outdoors, that the house plans included a fish pond just inside the front door. “Our grandson (14-month-old Elliot Lovell) loves it,” Joyce said. “It was Terry’s idea.”
“I always thought it would be neat,” he added.