The best privacy planting strikes a balance between manicured and wild - and all the better if it can be in an utterly gorgeous natural setting. For a guidebook on the design, look no further than Amal and George Clooney's Italian home, Villa Oleandra, where their verdant planting perfectly achieves the equilibrium between high-impact, low-maintenance, and protective gardening.
George purchased the 18th-century estate on the shores of Lake Como in 2002 in the village of Laglio, where he and Amal first met. Over the years, they have updated the classic old-world architecture with an air of modern luxury - all while maintaining its character - and the same can be said of their take on Italian gardening. Their water's edge planting reflects the surrounding rich Mediterranean-style landscape, incorporating a mix of manicured boxwoods, wild wisteria, and mature trees for ultimate privacy. It feels at once classic and new.
