Newsletters: March - April 2008
In Memory of Jim O'Toole
Natural Times-March/April 2008
By Jennifer Bronson
The land here is peaceful. The rolling hills of winter browns, the old tree line standing tall and majestic like guards, the two old cracker houses surrounded by a butterfly garden quietly sleeping, a shady patch edged with fallen logs blanketed with resurrection fern alive from the recent rains , and a secret garden kept hidden by two loquat trees that reach willingly towards the sky and lovingly to the ground. It is here that I learned what it meant to know and love Jim O'Toole.
I never had the privilege of knowing Jim while he still walked these grounds, but it is here that I learned about him through the compassion and love of his wife Betty, or 'B' as she is known. We sat and talked in the warmth of the sun on the front steps of one of the old houses that was saved from destruction and brought to the property. The wraparound porch is lined with rockers that are well worn-Jim was a good listener and never forgot a name. Making people feel comfortable and welcome came to him naturally, and that feeling of acceptance is still here as 'B' shares her memories with me.
Two greenhouses are filled with the smell of life. Dozens of different herbs planted in homemade organic soil cover the long tables. The plants are thriving in soil that was mixed with the strength of Jim's hands and his passion to grow healthy plants in a sustainable way. Walking back through the gardens I can't help but squeeze a rosemary bush—one of the few green giants still awake in the winter beds. 'B' smiles and tells me that her gardening knowledge was learned through experience. It was Jim's complete embrace of her love of gardening that helped start and sustain their dream. She explains how she lost her best friend, husband, and business partner all at once.
After visiting the herb farm and talking with 'B' it was easy to see why Jim O'Toole is loved by so many. A family friend told me her first memory of Jim was watching him with his wife. She said that Jim loved his wife more than anything else in the world. I left the farm with an ache in my heart, wishing I could have sat in a rocker next to Jim, sharing in conversation, and watching the gardens of life grow all around us.
