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OCR
RECESS MACK from the James River, on the highlands, nestled among the trees which have long been a feature of the place, lies the Recess garden. This was laid out under the direction of General John H. Cocke, who left his home in Surrey County, Virginia, to come to the estate of his forefathers, before the War of 1812. General Cocke settled temporarily at Bremo Recess while he was building the handsome home a few miles away which he called Bremo, in memory of an early home of his family in Henrico County. The Recess garden occupied an exact acre and lies four square. The uplands were not as fertile as the lowgrounds, so General Cocke had three feet of the soil removed from the garden and replaced it with three feet of earth from the lowgrounds, thus making it rich to begin with. The garden was laid out in squares with walks between and a narrow border around each square for flowers or grapevines. It was all enclosed by a stone wall, parts of which were and still are covered with English ivy, making it very picturesque. There are vines and rosebushes left in this garden that were loved and cherished by the wife of General Cocke. One in particular, that flourishes today and has given delight to many of her descendants, is called the musk cluster. ‘This has the most unique and exquisite odor imaginable. Like all odors, it has the power of awakening the memories of so much that is dear and sacred of those who are gone. Before he died, General Cocke gave Recess to his oldest son and namesake. One of the legacies left by the latter was a splendid collection of pear trees, which have delighted generations of chil[139]
