The Greater Perfection: The Story of the Gardens at Les Quatre Vents

The story behind the creation of Les Quatre Vents, one of the world’s most breathtaking public gardens.   As featured in the 2018 film The Gardener, Les Quatre Vents in Charlevoix County, Quebec, has been acclaimed as the most aesthetically satisfying and horticulturally exciting landscape experience in North America. This twenty-acre garden seamlessly combines traditional elements with original and unexpected touches into a splendid composition that is perfectly compatible with its natural surroundings.   The Greater Perfection, first published in 2001, illustrates the delights, diversions, and surprises that await visitors. Francis H. Cabot's account of his challenges in developing Les Quatre Vents reveals the fascinating process behind the creation of a world-class garden that has become a mecca for horticultural enthusiasts from around the globe. Featuring stunning full-color images by five leading garden photographers, The Greater Perfection is one of the most beautiful books on gardens to appear in years. This new printing includes a foreword by Marianne Welch, Cabot’s daughter, that contextualizes the gardens further and explores how a place rooted in the past has evolved to confront our current reality, including the effects of climate change.

Table of Contents:
Forewords I A Bridge to the Soul – Marianne Cabot Welch II A Garden Rooted in the Landscape – Laurie Olin III A Vision of Perfection – Penelope Hobhouse Introduction I A Sense of the Place II The House in Its Setting III Alpine Plants and Rockwork IV Refurbishing the Older Gardens V Borrowing the Landscape VI The Stream Garden VII An Indirect Approach VIII The Pigeonnier Gardens IX A Japanese Interlude X Deep Shade and Sunnier Borders XI The Woodland Garden XII Potager, Prairie, and Piscine Afterword Notes Acknowledgments Photography Credits Index

About the Author :
Francis H. Cabot (1925–2011) was an American financier, gardener, and horticulturist. He founded the nonprofit Garden Conservancy in 1989 and served as chairman for the New York Botanical Garden.

Review :
“Cabot is one of the most interesting figures in American gardening.” “The evolutions of that land under different hands interest Cabot almost as much as the evolutions he has brought about. Cabot is also delightfully candid about the range of sources that have influenced Les Quatre Vents. He is an unabashed bricoleur.” “Les Quatre Vents deploys many different features and styles but manages, by some process or alchemy, to make harmony out of its richly varied ingredients and to preserve a strong sense of individuality.”