Historic Gardens of Virginia 



ander and Thomas Seddon, of Fredericksburg, and a sister of 

 James A. Seddon, Secretary of War of the Confederate States. 



For seventy years she remained its mistress, and it was during 

 that period that the garden and grounds of Belleville were laid 

 off and developed. 



There were two especial features to be considered: 



First — The river which at Belleville sweeps around the grounds 

 in such a manner as to make it nearly a peninsula. Mrs. Taliaferro, 

 unusually gifted with taste and judgment, used this as a basis to 

 work upon. On the broad lawn in front and on one side of the 

 house she had planted singly and in groups trees which are still 

 standing in their strength. Among them were the live oak trees, 

 Cottonwood, tulip-poplar and magnolia; there were also apple, and 

 peach trees; plums, cherries and apricots, which gave bloom as well 

 as fruit. Holly trees were planted in clumps, while a few hand- 

 some mimosas lent color and fragrance. 



Along the bank of the river, cedars were planted at intervals. 

 Near the flower-beds on the green in the rear of the house were 

 many crepe myrtles; there, too, grew altheas, lilacs, bridal-wreath, 

 snow-balls, smoke trees and yuccas. Fig bushes and pomegranates 

 were also cultivated successfully in this old garden. Modern ex- 

 perts in landscape-gardening and planting might take lessons from 

 this Virginia gentlewoman of the nineteenth century. 



The second feature lay in the fact that in planting her flowers, 

 Mrs. Taliaferro massed various colors in separate beds. There 

 was infinite variety in the coloring of the borders, but each bed 

 displayed a mass of bloom of the same color. She used, in great 

 profusion, every sort of flower known in that day, and arranged 

 them with such exquisite taste that the resulting harmony in color 

 and form constituted the glory of the Belleville garden. 



Among the flowers were the following: snowdrops, crocus, daf- 

 fodils of many varieties. The small purple and tall white and purple 

 iris, tulips, cowslips, narcissi, violets, lilies of the valley, and the 

 single white hyacinth grew in great profusion in the borders. 



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