Staff report
After Madeline Martin Swinden’s sudden passing in June 2020, staff at Mission San Juan Capistrano set about to honoring the memory of the Mission Preservation Foundation board member and longtime steward.
The Mission’s newest in-house publication, Finding Inspiration: The Gardens at Mission San Juan Capistrano, is intended to honor her legacy, and it is available at the Mission Store and online at missionsjc.com/shop. A rose garden was also dedicated in Swinden’s memory due to her love of gardens.

The book covers the start of the Mission’s landscape and history of the historic grounds’ gardening.
“Madeline was a champion for the Mission, and while I deeply miss my friend, her life is still bringing change, as these new projects collectively allow us to move forward and celebrate the Mission’s 20th– and 21st-century-era gardens, making an even greater visitor experience,” said Mission Executive Director Mechelle Lawrence Adams.
All proceeds will benefit Mission preservation efforts.
“We are proud that Madeline’s endless enthusiasm for the Mission’s art, gardens, history, events, and fourth-grade visitors will live on in her memory,” said Adams.
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