Tour Steps Into Artists European Influenced Gardens

Rose Societys annual tour highlights Old World charm

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By Andrea Papagianis

Maria del Carmen Calvo steps into her canvas.

Nestled along the Capistrano Beach bluffs, Calvos rich garden rooms provide an escape from the outside world, where the inside meets the out, creating a space straight from one of the artists oil paintings.

Walking the grounds Calvo stops to smell the roses. Its my sanctuary, Calvo says in the heavy Spanish accent she carries even after 50 years in California.

She moves through the garden, passing through a line of olive treesa simple, gravel path shrouded by tall, neatly trimmed topiaries. Its one of the many ways her European heritage, and artistic style, shines through the rose-lined pathways and tall hedges.

Calvo and her husband, Walter Henry, have been building their home for 30 years. They started with a clean slate. All but one tree was removed when they moved into their Camino Capistrano-located home. Since, Calvo has cultivated an outdoor living space where tranquility reigns.

One of nine fountains at Maria del Carmen Clavos Capistrano Beach home provides tranquil sounds amidst a garden of roses and olive topiaries. Photo: Andrea Papagianis

Roses billow from their branches, heavy and wide, encompassing cement walkways Calvo lay with intricate glass and tile designs. Fountains echo the gentle trickling of water. Around each corner, Calvos artistic sleight of hand peeks through with personal touches straight from an artists eye.

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Tour Steps Into Artists European Influenced Gardens