The General Interest Category award was presented to:

The Greater Perfection
by Francis Cabot,
(W. W. Norton & Company, New York NY, 2001),
328 p., ISBN 0-393-04189-1, $75.00 (cloth)

June 10, 2003 – New York, New York -- The Council on Botanical and Horticultural Libraries, Inc. (CBHL) presented its fourth Annual Literature Award on June 10, 2003. This presentation was made during the Council's 35th annual meeting hosted by Brooklyn Botanic Garden, The Horticultural Society of New York, The New York Botanical Garden, Planting Fields Arboretum State Historic Park and Elisabeth Woodburn Books. The Annual Literature Award, created to recognize significant contributions to the literature of botany and horticulture, honored two exceptional books this year. The CBHL selection committee praised both of these works for excellence of intellectual content, usefulness to the intended audience and distinguished contribution to the literature.

Ted Anderson's The Cactus Family published by Timber Press received the 2003 Annual Literature Award in the Technical category. Dr. Anderson's definitive study of this fascinating plant family combines authoritative information with a presentation that is clear, well organized and visually pleasing. Enriched with many photographs by the author, this work also contains a well referenced bibliography of literature cited; and detailed indexes to scientific and common names, including extensive cross-references.

Honored with the 2003 Annual Literature Award in the General Interest category is Francis Cabot's The Greater Perfection : The Story of the Gardens at Les Quatre Vents published by W. W. Norton. Cabot, one of North America's most admired gardeners, is the visionary behind this marvelous garden found along the shore of the St. Lawrence River, in the Charlevoix Region of Quebec. As each chapter unfolds, the conception, influences, and construction of each garden within the garden are minutely described and superbly illustrated with contemporary and historical photographs. At the end of this book, the reader has a sense of the richness and complexity of this one great garden and of the great art of garden making.

The Council on Botanical and Horticultural Libraries, Inc. is the leading professional organization in the field of botanical and horticultural information services. It recognizes the critical importance of collecting, preserving, and making accessible the accumulated knowledge about plants for present and future generations. For more information, visit its web site at http://www.ville.montreal.qc.ca/jardin/cbhl