I graduated from Samsun Anatolian High School in 1992. Although I never had the opportunity to meet Carl Tobey, I was fortunate enough to wander through the wonderful botanical garden he had created on our school grounds. The remarkable variety of plants and flowers captivated me as a nature lover.
At the time, the garden was known as the Garden of Kartopu. Kartopu was the affectionate nickname given to him by the people of Samsun. I later learned that Carl Tobey was a retired English teacher, and I was fascinated to discover that he had spent his childhood on beautiful Long Island.
This connection felt particularly special because Long Island’s beautiful coastline reminded me of the lovely shores of Samsun, my hometown. I found it touching to think that someone who had grown up surrounded by the coastal beauty of Long Island had eventually made his home in Samsun, another place blessed with beautiful shores.
I haven’t been back to Samsun in five years, but I visited Long Island this summer. Walking along its shores brought this story to mind and made me feel a little closer to my hometown—and, in a way, to the story of a man whose garden I had enjoyed without ever knowing the remarkable person behind it.
Today, there is a wealth of information about Carl Tobey available online, including photographs and stories about the botanical garden he created at Samsun Anatolian High School. It is fascinating to uncover the story behind a place I remember so fondly from my school years and to learn more about the remarkable man whose garden I had the pleasure of exploring with my friend Tulin, even though we never had the opportunity to meet him.
I graduated from Samsun Anatolian High School in 1992. Although I never had the opportunity to meet Carl Tobey, I was fortunate enough to wander through the wonderful botanical garden he had created on our school grounds. The remarkable variety of plants and flowers captivated me as a nature lover.
At the time, the garden was known as the Garden of Kartopu. Kartopu was the affectionate nickname given to him by the people of Samsun. I later learned that Carl Tobey was a retired English teacher, and I was fascinated to discover that he had spent his childhood on beautiful Long Island.
This connection felt particularly special because Long Island’s beautiful coastline reminded me of the lovely shores of Samsun, my hometown. I found it touching to think that someone who had grown up surrounded by the coastal beauty of Long Island had eventually made his home in Samsun, another place blessed with beautiful shores.
I haven’t been back to Samsun in five years, but I visited Long Island this summer. Walking along its shores brought this story to mind and made me feel a little closer to my hometown—and, in a way, to the story of a man whose garden I had enjoyed without ever knowing the remarkable person behind it.
Today, there is a wealth of information about Carl Tobey available online, including photographs and stories about the botanical garden he created at Samsun Anatolian High School. It is fascinating to uncover the story behind a place I remember so fondly from my school years and to learn more about the remarkable man whose garden I had the pleasure of exploring with my friend Tulin, even though we never had the opportunity to meet him.