Surreptitious Privacy Installation Found in Marilyn Monroe's '50s Backyard: Hidden Borders and Manicured Hedges Ensure Discretion and Seclusion
As the weather warms up and families prepare to spend more time outside, the expert team at Garden Buildings Direct is encouraging homeowners to consider solutions for privacy planting. This timeless method, as demonstrated by the design of Marilyn Monroe's home in 1956, offers a way to maintain an open charm while providing concealment.
The key to a successful privacy planting scheme lies in planting at different levels - borders, hedges, and trees. Marilyn's design, still relevant decades later, utilised this technique to create a secluded space that was both functional and stylish.
For creating privacy hedges similar to those found in celebrity home designs, including possibly Marilyn Monroe's estate, there are several excellent plant and tree choices. Evergreen shrubs and trees like the Wax Leaf Privet (Ligustrum japonicum) and Pittosporum tenuifolium are robust options, growing quickly and forming strong living screens. The Wax Leaf Privet, with its dense, waxy leaves, thrives in full sun to partial shade and tolerates various soil types. Pittosporum tenuifolium, on the other hand, features small, elegant leaves in rich green, silvery-grey, purple, or variegated varieties and is resilient in various soil conditions.
Fast-growing deciduous trees like the Hawthorn, Green Giant Arborvitae, and European Hornbeam are also excellent choices for privacy screening. The Green Giant Arborvitae, a classic privacy tree, grows 3 to 5 feet annually, while the European Hornbeam offers a lush green screen through the growing season.
Incorporating hedges along a patio or seating area can separate the area from the rest of the garden and block sightlines from neighbouring windows. Shrubs and hedges at the mid-level, like those in front of Marilyn's home, shield lower windows from the world.
Deciduous trees provide privacy during the summer months, while evergreens create a private garden space all year round but cast deeper shade and may block out much of the sun during warmer months. The Hydrangea named 'All Summer Beauty', a compact, long-blooming mophead variety, produces big, bouncy flowers on 4 ft shrubs, ideal for shade gardens.
The little flowers named 'Pop of Pink' are easy to grow perennials that can brighten a garden. Regular pruning helps maintain the shape and density of these plants, ensuring effective privacy screening.
The home and garden have historically been spaces of sanctuary, and privacy planting continues to play a crucial role in creating secluded, stylish outdoor spaces. Celebrities, including Marilyn Monroe, can teach us about planting for privacy, and the techniques remain timeless. By following these guidelines, homeowners can transform their outdoor spaces into private, beautiful oases.
Incorporating a variety of plants and trees for privacy planting can not only create a secluded outdoor space but also elevate the overall lifestyle and design of a home-and-garden. For instance, choosing evergreens like the Wax Leaf Privet or Pittosporum tenuifolium, or deciduous trees such as the Green Giant Arborvitae or European Hornbeam, can offer year-round privacy or summer screening, respectively.
