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Jane Fonda's vertical garden revives a former-favorite outdoor living trend for 2023

The Grace and Frankie actress shares how to enhance garden privacy without sacrificing style – for when al-fresco dining resumes

Jane Fonda
(Image credit: GettyImages)

Jane Fonda is described as a Hollywood icon – known for starring in Grace and Frankie, Barbarella, and Book Club. After decades in the industry, it is unsurprising and understandable that the actress craves privacy around her Los Angeles home – not least in her garden. But how does she maintain solitude in the most exposed space of all? Her vertical garden ideas may be the solution. 

In the photo below, Jane is seen relaxing on a bench alongside a large outdoor dining table – complemented with green and cream printed cushions adjacent to the actress.

While her color-coordinated outdoor dining set-up is already something to note – we can't help but feel distracted by her vertical planter in the backdrop. This feature offers garden privacy while accentuating the green furnishings and bringing a verdant feel to the al-fresco space. 

Alongside their qualities in terms of privacy, vertical gardens and living walls are one of the easiest ways to fill your garden with color – adding immediate visual interest in even the smallest of gardens (since you only need space vertically). 

This feature, which is often labeled as a 'garden trend,' has enjoyed a surge in recent years thanks to social media platforms that have praised its benefits for our mental well-being. And, with the support of Jane Fonda, we expect vertical gardens will enjoy yet another resurgence when the time comes this spring.  

'Vertical gardens are a creative way to elevate an otherwise ordinary space into your own mini landscape, which grows, changes, and transforms your living space,' says Bloom & Wild's plant expert Keira Kay. 'They not only make for great social media content, but they have many health and environmental benefits.'

a living wall with mixed foliage for garden screening

A similar vertical garden

(Image credit: Leigh clapp)

Besides her acting career, Jane Fonda has also made a name as an activist – primarily influential in the fight against climate change. It is almost inevitable, therefore, that vertical walls are one of the most eco-friendly garden features you can incorporate into your space. 

'Outdoor green living walls can improve the air quality of a city by filtering harmful toxins and pollutants,' Keira says. 'They are beneficial for the climate, decreasing the UHI (urban heat island effect). On top of that, they can be a haven for wildlife, such as birds and insects, within busy cities.' 

However, whether you're an urban dweller or not, we're convinced a Fonda-inspired vertical garden will make a statement (and protect your privacy) around your home. 

My Life So Far by Jane Fonda | $28.11 on Amazon

My Life So Far by Jane Fonda | $28.11 on Amazon

In her memoir, Jane Fonda reveals why she is even more than an actress, activist, feminist, wife, workout guru, and role model. She offers intimate details and inspiring truths that she hopes 'can provide a lens through which others can see their lives and how they can live them a little differently.'

Megan Slack
Head of Celebrity Style News

Megan is the Head of Celebrity Style News at Homes & Gardens. She first joined Future Plc as a News Writer across their interiors titles, including Livingetc and Real Homes, before becoming H&G's News Editor in April 2022. She now leads the Celebrity/ News team. Before joining Future, Megan worked as a News Explainer at The Telegraph, following her MA in International Journalism at the University of Leeds. During her BA in English Literature and Creative Writing, she gained writing experience in the US while studying in New York. Megan also focused on travel writing during her time living in Paris, where she produced content for a French travel site. She currently lives in London with her antique typewriter and an expansive collection of houseplants.