Dave Franco and Alison Brie's backyard features the 'ideal' hardy and fast-growing evergreen for privacy planting – but you need to proceed with caution

Privacy is an essential element of comfort at home, and if you can create it with beautiful plants, all the better. Alison Brie and Dave Franco harness the timeless style of bamboo in their backyard, creating a pretty, hardy, and easy to grow backdrop to their lives.

We spotted the couple's plants for privacy in the background of a recent Instagram post from Alison. The image shows how their stone driveway is surrounded by a wooden fence brightened with fluffy bamboo. Ferns and cascading pothos add an extra touch of wildness. The thick foliage surrounds the entire house, screening in Alison and Dave's lives from prying eyes.

According to a experts, they've chosen well. Master gardener and Homes & Gardens content editor Thom Rutter advises: 'Bamboo is an ideal evergreen to provide privacy and screening in any space.'

Part of what makes bamboo an excellent garden screening choice is that it is exceedingly easy to plant and grow. Thom says: 'It is a quick grower, meaning that in no time at all, you can cover ugly fences and walls with a lush, green canopy.'

However, if bamboo is not native to your area (be sure to double-check before planting!) it can create significant unwanted spread. 'Of course, bamboo is not without its issues. It can be invasive in many regions, and once it is established, bamboo sends up runners here, there and everywhere,' explains Thom.

Luckily, this outcome is not unavoidable with the proper precautions. Thom recommends: 'To stop bamboo spreading, I would suggest growing it in pots, or, alternatively, use something like this root barrier, available from Amazon, which should be installed when planting in the ground to limit its spread.' Though we all want a garden like Alison Brie and Dave Franco's, we also want to be sure to protect our local ecosystems and avoid any problems.

At its best, privacy planting is simple and effective. By doing proper research and looking to homes like Alison and Dave's for inspiration, demystifying the process becomes easy.