"The First Lady of Herbs"

Adelma Grenier Simmons (December 16, 1903 – December 3, 1997) was one of the leading herb

Herb

Except in botanical usage, an herb is "any plant with leaves, seeds, or flowers used for flavoring, food, medicine, or perfume" or "a part of such a plant as used in cooking"...

al figures in America

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

 in the 20th century. A legend for her knowledge of herbal lore and history, she was also a prolific author and sparked an interest in herb gardening across the country. She owned and operated Caprilands Herb Farm in Coventry

Coventry, Connecticut

Coventry is a town in Tolland County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 11,504 at the 2000 census. The birthplace of Captain Nathan Hale, Coventry is home to the Nathan Hale Homestead, which is now a museum open to the public....

, Connecticut

Connecticut

Connecticut is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, and the state of New York to the west and the south .Connecticut is named for the Connecticut River, the major U.S. river that approximately...

 for over 55 years.

Early life

Adelma A. Grenier was born December 16, 1903 in Sheldon

Sheldon, Vermont

Sheldon is a town in Franklin County, Vermont, United States. The population was 1,990 at the 2000 census. It contains the unincorporated village of Sheldon Springs.-Geography:...

, Vermont

Vermont

Vermont is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. The state ranks 43rd in land area, , and 45th in total area. Its population according to the 2010 census, 630,337, is the second smallest in the country, larger only than Wyoming. It is the only New England...

. She was the daughter of Albert Norman Grenier, a barber of French-Canadian descent, and his wife Abigail (née Crowe). When Simmons was 6 years old, the family lived in Cambridge

Cambridge, Vermont

Cambridge is a town in Lamoille County, Vermont, United States. The population was 3,186 at the 2000 U.S. Census. Cambridge includes the village of Jeffersonville.-History:...

, VT but relocated to nearby St. Albans before she was 15.

By 1930, the family had moved to Holyoke

Holyoke, Massachusetts

Holyoke is a city in Hampden County, Massachusetts, United States, between the western bank of the Connecticut River and the Mount Tom Range of mountains. As of the 2010 Census, the city had a population of 39,880...

, Massachusetts

Massachusetts

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...

 and Simmons worked as a buyer, designer and decorator for the Albert Steiger Company, a department store based in Springfield in Massachusetts. Her parents had also found work with the company although they wished to return to the country life.

Caprilands Herb Farm

Though sometimes said to have been founded by Simmons in 1929, records show the family was still living in Massachusetts at that time. Caprilands was to be the name of the 50 acres (202,343 m²) plot of land in Coventry, CT bought by the Grenier family around 1930. The large 18th-century farmhouse and outbuildings sat upon the grounds of a failed dairy farm. The land had been neglected and was of poor farming quality due to the large number of glacial boulders and wetlands.

Simmons is said to have made her first attempt growing vegetables while running a goat farm on the property, finding that goats thrived on the rocky terrain; hence the name, Caprilands, capri being the Latin

Latin

Latin is an Italic language originally spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. It, along with most European languages, is a descendant of the ancient Proto-Indo-European language. Although it is considered a dead language, a number of scholars and members of the Christian clergy speak it fluently, and...

 root for goat. Though interesting, goat farming was not very lucrative. In the 1940s, after a devastating vegetable season resulting in the death of her crop, Simmons turned her attention toward growing herbs. Herbs, similar to weeds, thrived on the land.

After several decades of determination and effort, Simmons herb farm flourished.

Later life

Though only 5 feet (1.5 m) in height, she was an imposing figure who was always seen in public wearing a custom pileolus hat and a cape.

Simmons died on December 3, 1997 in her bedroom at her beloved Caprilands Herb Farm in Coventry, CT. Simmons' will left her entire estate to a nonprofit educational institute.The Caprilands Institute would further the research and education in herbs, plants and flowers that Mrs. Simmons lectured upon and many of which were displayed in her gardens.

Miscellaneous

• Simmons was married three times. Her first marriage was short-lived and ended in divorce. Her second marriage was to George Simmons, which lasted until his death in 1965. She last married in 1993 to Edward Werner Cook, presently executor of her estate.

• Award-winning celebrity chef David Bouley
  David Bouley
  David Bouley is an American chef and restaurateur with restaurants in TriBeCa, New York City. He is best known for his flagship restaurant, Bouley....
  
   used to bike to the Simmons farm from his childhood home in nearby Willimantic, CT. Even after opening his famed restaurant, Bouley, in New York City
  New York City
  New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
  
  , his staff and close friends made annual pilgrimages to the farm, making it possible for Bouley to teach his staff what Simmons taught him.

• Mrs. Simmons was the author of many books. The International Herb Association
  International Herb Association
  The International Herb Association was founded by Mary Peddie of Washington, Kentucky. The association was originally named the International Herb Growers and Marketing Association, IHGMA. Many famous people in the world of herbs have been members, among them Adelma Simmons and Ron Zimmerman, now...
  
  presented Adelma Simmons with a lifetime achievement award.

Partial bibliography

• 1964 Herb Gardening in Five Seasons
• 1968 A Merry Christmas Herbal
• 1969 Herbs to Grow Indoors; For Flavor, For Fragrance, For Fun
• 1972 The Illustrated Herbal Handbook
• 1974 Herb Gardens of Delight, with Plants for Every Mood and Purpose
• 1980 The Caprilands Kitchen Book : Economy Cooking with Herbs
• 1981 A Witches Brew
• 1983 The World of Rosemary
• 1987 Herbs Through the Seasons at Caprilands
• 1987 The Caprilands Wreath Book
• 1987 Herbs are Good Companions : To Vegetables in the Garden : To Cooks in the Kitchen
• 1989 Country Wreaths from Caprilands : The Legend, Lore, and Design of Traditional Herbal Wreaths
• 1990 Tea and Tranquility
• 1991 Seasonal Wreaths from Caprilands : Holiday Celebrations with Herbal Wreath Lore and Design
• 1991 Seasonal Herbs from Caprilands : Step-by-step in the Garden
• 1992 The World of Herbs & Flowers : A Guide to Growing, Preserving, Cooking, Potpourri, Sachets and Wreaths
• 1992 World of Fragrance : Potpourri and Sachets from Caprilands
• 1992 Herbs are Forever Caprilands' Guide to Growing and Preserving
• 1992 A Year in Wreaths : Caprilands' Guide to Wreaths
• 1992 The Pride of Cooks : Herbal Recipes from the Caprilands Kitchen
• 1992 Caprilands Herbs and Festivals : Part I Winter Ways
• 1993 Caprilands Herbs and Festivals : Part II Easter Joys & Herbal Magic
• 1995 Caprilands Herbal Soups for All Seasons
• 1996 Appetizers Delicious Easy to Prepare
• 1996 Pasta Cookbook: Pasta and Noodles from Around
• 1996 Fish and Seafood
• The Little Book of Scented Geraniums
• The Strawberry Book
• Plants of Shakespeare
• The Little Book of Thyme
• Autumn at Caprilands
• Saints in My Garden
• Caprilands Breads for All Reasons
• Desserts, Pies, Cakes, Puddings, Tarts, Crepes
• The Book of Valentine Remembrances

External links

• Caprilands Herb Farm
• International Herb Association