Sometimes privacy planting is a necessary evil, and sometimes, it's a design-led feature of an outdoor space. Eva Gabor's backyard falls firmly into the second camp.
Archival images of the actress's garden idea from 1981 show privacy planting that is alive with beauty. Tall, narrow trees stretch up her white walls, enclosing the space in cocooning safety. Rose bushes and other tiny plants dot the garden, separated by pretty wrought iron edging that centers on a stone path. A concrete statue adds a sense of history and height to the space. Overall, the design promotes functionality, but sings with style.
If you're wondering what Eva's secret is, you're in luck. Homes & Gardens spoke with a variety of experts to get to the bottom of how she makes planting for privacy look so good. We also curated an edit of the best plants and garden accessories to help you recreate her look at home. Let's start with a peek into Eva's garden.
Recreate Eva's Look at Home
These striking, narrow trees are the stand out feature of Eva's yard, and they're relatively affordable in their infancy. It will be so rewarding to see them grow over the years.
Pretty garden edging makes all the difference in an outdoor space, and this gorgeous, wrought-iron style scallopped one is a great affordable option. It would look beautiful with rose bushes as see in Eva's yard.
This light pink rose is bursting with life and citrusy scent, grounded in lush, dark green foliage.
This high-quality resin angel statue is made by well-known artist Jaimy for a stylish and recognizable addition to your garden. Eva uses a similar
These climbing roses grow 5 to 10 inches tall without a pot, with flower colors ranging from light to dark shades depending on the batch. They fill your garden with rich fragrance and quickly leaf out and bloom once planted and established.
Ficus is one of the most popular choices for privacy hedging in Los Angeles and Southern California. Fast-growing, upright, and evergreen, it stays lush and green throughout the year.
In order to recreate Eva Gabor's garden screening idea, we must start with figuring out the exact plants she uses. Steve Corcoran, gardening expert and CEO of Lawn Love, identifies the tall, thin evergreen shrubs against the back wall as sky pencil holly or Italian cypress. He explains: 'They work well in that space because they add a lot of height while also still making the space feel open. Especially being up against a white wall, they add contrast and depth without making the yard feel tightly enclosed.'
In addition to buying the right plants, pulling off this look comes down to planning a garden well to balance full and open space. Steve advises: 'If you want to recreate a similar feel in your yard, focus on growing tall trees or shrubs while also making sure there is space between them so that the area still feels open.'
More generally, effective privacy screening requires a variety of plants at different heights to create a varied look. Joe Raboine, Garden Design Expert at Oldcastle APG suggests: 'Plants like shrubs, small trees and tall grasses are ideal for additional privacy. Shrubs can be planted to act as a makeshift wall between different outdoor rooms or along key areas of your property line. Small trees, such as a Japanese Maple or some varieties of dogwood, enhance the overall aesthetic of your yard while providing some separation from neighboring properties. Ornamental tall grasses can be used similarly to shrubs or to provide some separation between other plant varieties. Along with these plants, you can consider adding decorative screen panels around your patio, deck or garden to maximize privacy.'
With the right planning and plant choices, you can turn simple privacy planting into a thing of beauty. Archival gardens are the perfect place to start for inspiration.
