Cabot, Francis H.

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Cabot, Francis H.

PERSONAL:

Male.

ADDRESSES:

Home—Cold Springs, NY; and Quebec, Canada.Agent—c/o Author Mail, W.W. Norton & Co., Inc., 500 5th Ave., New York, NY 10110.

CAREER:

Horticulturist. Former chair, New York Botanical Gardens.

MEMBER:

Garden Conservancy (founder, 1989—).

WRITINGS:

The Greater Perfection: The Story of the Gardens at Les Quatre Vents, Norton (New York, NY), 2001.

SIDELIGHTS:

One of the most respected horticulturists in North America, Francis H. Cabot is the former head of New York's Botanical Gardens and is also well known for founding the Garden Conservancy, a nonprofit organization that works to preserve significant private gardens. Since retiring from New York, Cabot has kept busy with his own private garden, Les Quatre Vents, which is the subject of his book The Greater Perfection: The Story of the Gardens at Les Quatre Vents. Situated on banks of the St. Lawrence River on the outskirts of Quebec, Canada, Les Quatre Vents ("The Four Winds") has been in Cabot's family for four generations, and over the last three decades the renowned gardener has worked to make it one of the best gardens in the world. The book, which is naturally heavily illustrated with photographs, includes text by Cabot, offering a rare glimpse into a landscape that is usually closed to the public. Though writing is not Cabot's main profession, reviewers were particularly pleased by what an "accomplished raconteur" the author proves to be, according to Jane Garmey in a Town & Country article. Garmey concluded that the overall effect of combining beautiful photos with entertaining text is "exhilarating."