This is one of my favorite herbal books for Christmas. Adelma Grenier Simmons was the owner of Caprilands in Connecticut, a Mecca for herb lovers for many years. Check out the website because her third husband, Edward Cook is working on restoring Caprilands to its former glory. She died on December 3, 1997 at the age of 93. She wrote 35 books and many pamphlets on the subject so near and dear to her, herbs. Her book, Herb Gardening in Five Seasons, talks about Christmas as the fifth season.
Today is Saint Barbara's Day and was the first festival celebrated at Caprilands during the Christmas season. Back to Saint Barbara better known in the Near East and Asia Minor. She is the patron saint of Ferrara and Mantua in Italy. Barbara supposedly lived in the third century. She was kept in a tower by her father. For refusing to practice pagan rites, she was tortured and put to death by her father who was destroyed by lightning. Saint Barbara is a protector against lightning, fire, storm and sudden death. Her customary emblem is a tower. Saint Barbara was also associated with the harvest and wheat is often her symbol.
