NEW GARDEN, OLD SOUL

On a once-empty lot in Southern California, a couple evokes the romance and character of an aged Mediterranean estate.

- MIKE IRVINE,HOLLY LEPERE

When curious passersby peek through the gate of this Santa Barbara garden, the homeowners often invite them in for a tour. As they walk the gravel paths, past the ivy-draped cottage and mature trees, “People ask, ‘Oh my God; how old is this place?’” says Jonathan, who shares the home with wife Elizabeth (last names excluded for privacy). “And I’ll jokingly tell them, ‘It was built in 1740.’”

While the garden is, in fact, only around 15 years old—built from the ground up on a near-empty lot—it has all the character of a rambling old Tuscan retreat. “I’d always loved and fantasized about Mediterranean style,” Elizabeth says.