Elizabeth Taylor's Childhood Home Reveals The Anti-Fence Solution to Privacy Using Spanish-Style, Low-Water Plants
Carefully pruned shrubs, green trees, and arching greenery turn the actress's childhood home into a hidden oasis
When you think of 'privacy planting,' you may picture ivy-covered walls, but green fencing can be just as effective in an arid climate. For evidence, look no further than Elizabeth Taylor's childhood home in Beverly Hills.
Liz lived with her family on London's Hampstead Heath from when she was born until the age of 7, when her family moved to California in 1941. They purchased a 1929 Spanish-style home in Beverly Hills. Elizabeth lived there during the peak of her teen star years. Aside from the Hollywood history of the property, it's also an excellent example of how plants can be used to guarantee privacy in a warm location. The front of the home is alive with palms, agave, and well-pruned shrubs.
The house is evidence that you don't need a fence to create a sense of seclusion; just the right plants will do the job. To explore this idea, we'll start with a look at Elizabeth's childhood home. Then, the Homes & Gardens team has curated an edit of everything you'll need to plant your own green fence, and advice from master gardeners on how to emulate the look.
Elizabeth Taylor's childhood home in California
Shop The Spanish Privacy Planting Edit
This set is perfect for beginners, including all the tools you need to get started on gardening this spring at an affordable price point. They are fade, rust, and weather resistant.
This premium windmill palm tree is carefully grown and shipped by experienced nursery professionals to ensure top quality. Cold-hardy and adaptable, it thrives in USDA zones 7-11, making it a versatile choice for many climates.
If we are looking for a plant to add dramatic presence to our garden, this Octopus Agave will fit the bill. It grows with grace and beauty before blooming at full maturity.
With these pruners, old-world style craftsmanship meets precision yard and gardening equipment. We love that they carry Martha's name – a sign of quality we trust.
With its dense, compact growth habit and small dark green leaves, this shrub is an excellent alternative to traditional boxwood in planting schemes. It produces attractive reddish new growth in spring, but loved for its year-round structure.
The American Boxwood Shrub is a dependable garden favorite. Easy to shape and train, it creates a striking foundation hedge when planted in rows or provides year-round privacy and greenery when lined along a porch.
As Elizabeth's house demonstrates, if you don't want to use a fence, low-maintence privacy plants are the best alternatives. Laura Osteen, landscape designer at Secret Garden Landscapes, explains: 'If fencing cannot solve the problem then we look into planting. We can get larger sizes of hedges and trees but these come with a cost.'
She advises: 'Some things to consider when choosing a privacy tree is how much room is in the homeowner's yard and how high the privacy needs to be. Many plants need additional maintenance to ensure they grow the way we may want them to.' The palm tree in Elizabeth Taylor's former yard is especially striking because it pairs so well with the style of the home.
Privacy hedges through the addition of small bushes are also a great way to ensure your property feels tucked away, but alive. In an arid climate, Elizabeth Taylor uses large agave plants.
Laura states: 'If there is room in a yard, then a hedge can be a great buffer between homes. Varieties such as english laurel, photinia fraseri and Pittosporum are all great for hedging. Laurel and photinia can get thicker and therefore also great to use if sound is a concern.Whereas pillisporum varieties have interesting (an sometimes variegated) textured leaves that create a softer hedge.'
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