Meg Ryan’s Privacy Planting Was a Study in Green Seclusion
Meg Ryan’s Privacy Planting Was a Study in Green Seclusion
https://www.homesandgardens.com/celebrity-style/meg-ryan-privacy-planting
Publish Date: 2026-06-06 02:02:00
Source Domain: www.homesandgardens.com
As our lives are lived increasingly outdoors, homeowners are seeking new ways to make our properties feel private. Instead of fortress-like walls or fences, sustainably minded people are opting for the greener alternative of trees, bushes, and hedges. Meg Ryan’s ’90s yard is the perfect place to turn for inspiration.
In photographs of the property she shared with ex-husband Dennis Quaid, captured in 2002, we see that the actress used plants for privacy so well that the home could only be captured with an aerial camera. Her front yard features well-manicured hedges and a collection of coniferous and palm trees. Though the layout is simple, it demonstrates the sheer power that lush greenery can have as pseudo-fencing.
To unpack the lessons from how Meg Ryan uses shrubs for privacy, Homes & Gardens spoke with Senior Garden Designer Mirela Bajic about the best ways to recreate her look. We also curated an edit of the best hedges and tools to get started with your own green fencing. Let’s kick off with a glimpse into Meg’s front yard.
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Aerial view of Meg Ryan and Dennis Quaid’s former home, 2000
Shop The Privacy Planting Edit
Low-maintenance
Proven Winners® Gem Box® Holly Shrub
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.
Comprehensive
4-Piece Trowel and Cultivator Planting Set
This set is ideal for beginners, providing all the essential tools needed to get started with gardening this spring at an affordable price. Designed to withstand the elements, these tools will look good all summer long.
Hardy
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.
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