Amal and George Clooney's Lake Como Garden is a Guidebook for Low-Maintenance, High-Impact Privacy Planting

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.

Luckily, the Clooneys' approach to planting for privacy is easier to recreate than you might think, no matter where in the world you live. To get you started, Homes & Gardens has curated a selection of the best pruners (like the Dual Action Fiskar Shears from Amazon) and plants that reflect George and Amal's outdoor style. Alongside images of their Lake Como property, you'll also get explanations from master gardeners on how to achieve a balanced, privacy-ensuring Mediterranean scheme in any yard.

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Recreate The Clooney's Privacy Planting at Home

Our editors' picks feature all the seeds and tools you'll need to create a rich botanical garden rivalling the Lake Como property.

Master gardener Katie Rushworth swears by the Clooneys' balanced approach to privacy planting. The fact that it is both wild and manicured means it's gorgeous, but also requires less pruning and upkeep than a more structured look. She explains: 'Your garden should be somewhere you want to spend your summer - morning coffee, long lunches, evening drinks. Don’t stress about keeping every inch perfectly maintained - the whole point of summer is to relax and enjoy it.'

She continues: 'I often recommend following the 70/30 Rule: keep around 70% of your garden ‘managed’ - clean lines, mown paths, neat borders - and let 30% go "wild" with long grass, log piles for hedgehogs, and wildflower patches. This balance keeps your garden beautiful, biodiverse, and easier to enjoy without constant upkeep.'

Chloe Barrow, interior expert at Laura James, advises readers who want to dabble in Mediterranean plants to start with greens. As we see at Villa Oleandra, the bushes and trees of this region are the easiest to maintain, yet most impactful. Chloe states: 'Instead of traditional blooms, I would recommend switching these out for greenery such as olive trees, rosemary, and palms to bring in that relaxed Mediterranean feel.'

'In my experience, these kinds of plants are a really simple way to add height and therefore dimension to your garden, creating a holiday feel without requiring too much upkeep,' advises Chloe. 'They’re also a great long-term option as they last well through the seasons and don’t need constant replacing, making them a smart way to save money over time, despite the upfront costs.'

Even if you have a small garden, it's easy to recreate the Clooney's privacy planting technique with a container planting method. Chloe advises: 'You can also place these plants in terracotta pots or planters to add texture, which helps to create a more layered and natural outdoor setting that reflects the med.'

Furthermore, for those who want to recreate the look, a rapidly changing climate requires resilient planting, with gardeners turning increasingly to the Mediterranean region for ideas this summer. George and Amal Clooney's outdoor space is the perfect blueprint. Kate explains: 'Gardeners are no longer rushing for the earliest possible bloom - instead, they’re purposefully delaying flowering so their gardens stay vibrant during the hotter, later months of August and September.'

So, what plants are best for harnessing the hardiness of George and Amal Clooney's garden idea in a cooler climate? 'Hardy shrubs like Sambucus, Choisya, and Viburnum tinus are reliable, while drought-tolerant perennials add resilience,' Katie advises. She continues: 'Mediterranean favourites like lavender and rosemary thrive in dry spells but need good drainage to handle wetter periods.'

As ever, it remains important to do your own research on plants that will thrive in the climate where you live, but this Lake Como home is a great place to start in building your vision. Whether it's towering olive trees or tiny rosemary on an apartment balcony, anyone can access a touch of the magic of Italian summer with the right greenery.

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