BRANDON 



HE garden of gardens in Virginia is that of Lower 

 Brandon, situated on the broad waters of the 

 James River. One can hardly put into words the 

 beauty of a garden so saturated with intangible 

 charm. It has no rare blossoms, nor shrubs 

 brought from foreign lands, no delicately-planned 

 parterres so loved by our English grandmothers, but just the same 

 old-fashioned flowers we have known from childhood. We meet 

 them again at Brandon in such health and wealth of beauty, and 

 such dignity of surroundings, that it is hard to believe the feeble 

 attempts in our own gardens belong to the same family. 



The Brandon garden is not merely one enclosure, where we 

 may enter through a gate and, when we have closed it, feel a 

 delightful sense of seclusion. No, it is different from any other 

 garden in Virginia. The masses of blossom, the ample grounds, 

 the greens, the groves, and the wide spread of the peaceful James, 

 are so closely blended with the house, the home and the people, 

 that there is a unique charm of landscape and atmosphere mellowed 

 through eight generations. If you want to let your imagination 

 run hand in hand with poetry and romance; if you want to skip 

 and dance and make merry with childhood, laugh with youth, medi- 

 tate with the wise, and dream with sweet, placid old age, then go 

 to Lower Brandon, and stroll at sunset down the long grass walk 

 that leads to the river. 



Brandon was first called Martin's Brandon, as it was granted 

 to John Martin, who came over from England with John Smith. 

 John Martin was a member of His Majesty's first Council in Vir- 

 ginia. In 1635 it was granted to John Sadler and Richard Quiney, 

 merchants, and William Barbour, mariner. Richard Quiney mar- 



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