I recently had the great privilege of making a long trek from Boston to Quebec to visit friends and experience one of the most impressive private gardens in North America.
It is found near La Malbaie and the St. Lawrence River in Quebec, Canada: "Les Jardins de Quatre-Vents," designed by the late Francis Higginson Cabot, a descendant of the New York branch of the great Massachusetts family. A self-taught gardener, Cabot's vision was realized in a garden praised by Penelope Hobhouse among other giants of the gardening world. Our visit was blessed with good weather and the multitude of landscapes that unfurled themselves before me exceeded my expectations in every way.
Cabot's gardening masterpiece is well-described by "Atlas Obscura:"
"Spread out of 20 lush acres of rolling lawns and intricate boxwood hedges, calling it a 'garden' doesn't begin to describe it. It's actually about 25 different gardens --- including Japanese, rose, white, rock, sculpture, shade, and kitchen gardens. There are exotic and rare Asian plants, reflecting pools and waterfalls, and the St. Lawrence itself --- Les Jardins de Quatre-Vents's major water feature."
For more information, visit: https://cepas.qc.ca/jardins-quatre-vents/