Historic Gardens of Virginia 



day of Thomas Todd, emigrant. Guarded by an ancient willow 

 tree, this graveyard contains as many tombstones as any family 

 seat in Virginia; among these there is one dated 1703. 



In 1859, Thomas Tabb, son of Philip and Mary Mason 

 Wythe-Booth-Tabb, moved to Texas and the property passed out 

 of his family. In 1880 it was purchased by John Mott, of Long 

 Island, the father of the present owner, Mr. William Mott. The 

 children of the latter have been born and brought up at Todds- 

 bury, and they all love and appreciate the history and beauties of 

 the old Colonial dwelling; it is to the kindness of Mrs. Mott that 

 I am indebted for the sketches of the house and lawn. 



The garden was situated on the north side of the house and was 

 much neglected before the days of the present owners, but there 

 are descendants of the Tabbs who remember well its glories. It 

 was surrounded by a brick wall not more than two and a half feet 

 in height, and on top of this was a wooden railing, with a gate also 

 of wood of pretty design. There is a similar wall and entrance 

 in perfect preservation at Hickory Hill, Hanover County, the home 

 of Mr. Henry Wickham. 



The garden, which was a rectangle in form, was divided by a 

 centre walk and cross walks, making squares for vegetables sur- 

 rounded by dwarf box hedges, and with narrow borders for flowers 

 along the edges. In these borders were grown all of the early and 

 late flowers of that period, and at the junction of the walks were 

 planted large and small shrubs, making a diversion to the monot- 

 ony of the borders and hedges. Just inside of the gate, and across 

 the south side of the garden, was a broad walk with flower- 

 borders on either hand inside of the box hedges. On the lawn 

 were set out trees of various kinds, a very fine pecan and a black 

 ash remaining to show the taste of the early owners. 



Anne Seddon Rutherfoord Johnson. 



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