Move Over Boxwood! Kevin Bacon's Drought-Tolerant Privacy Scheme Is a Smarter Way to Screen Your Yard

Boxwood has long been the go-to choice for creating evergreen privacy around a home, but it definitely has its problems. Thankfully, Kevin Bacon and Kyra Sedgwick's Los Angeles garden proves there's a much better alternative.

Oh yes! Instead of relying on clipped hedging that's prone to blight and ravaging by box tree moth, the couple have embraced a layered planting scheme that delivers all of that wonderful privacy, texture and year-round interest you get from an evergreen boxwood.

Better still? Why, the fact that it does it all in exchange for far less water, too! No small thing, considering how hot and dry our summers have been of late.

Kevin Bacon's Privacy Planting Is Better Than Boxwood

From the street, Kevin Bacon and Kyra Sedgwick's front garden is framed by a loose and natural-looking arrangement of drought-tolerant plants rather than a formal hedge. Towering California pepper trees create a high canopy, while bold agaves, birds of paradise and fragrant rosemary (aka the 'it' plant of the future) fill the space beneath.

The result? A living screen that feels lush and secluded without the rigid appearance and dramatic goings on of traditional boxwood.

Check it out:

Rather than depending on a single evergreen hedge (or putting all of those metaphorical eggs into one box tree moth-addled basket), several plants have been used here to soften views into the property.

The taller trees filter sightlines from above, mid-height birds of paradise provide dense evergreen foliage, and lower-growing agaves and rosemary add volume at ground level. It feels softer and more contemporary than a wall of box, and it is also 100% made for a warming climate.

Think about it: agaves store water in their thick leaves, rosemary thrives in hot and dry conditions once established, and California pepper trees are well adapted to drought. Together they require significantly less irrigation than thirsty hedging plants, making them an attractive option for gardeners looking to reduce maintenance and water use.

Shop Kevin Bacon's Planting Scheme:

None of this means boxwood has become obsolete, of course. Once a go-to for formal gardens and neatly clipped borders, though, there's no getting away from the fact that it is increasingly falling out of favor. And, in areas where drought is becoming a concern, or where homeowners want a more relaxed Mediterranean-inspired aesthetic, Kevin Bacon’s planting scheme offers a compelling alternative (especially if you don't want your heart broken by box caterpillar drama later down the line).

A single hedge might be the obvious choice, but, as Kevin Bacon might put it, there are degrees of separation. Combine drought-tolerant trees, evergreen shrubs and architectural planting, and you can create privacy in a far more interesting way... and all with more texture, less water and a garden that feels distinctly of the moment.

Welcome to the big time.