Julie Newmar’s Lavish Garden ‘Keeps Her in Her Prime’ as Her Passion Helps Her Stay Fit at 91

Original Catwoman Julie Newmar still looks like the cat’s meow at 91 and she owes it to her passion for gardening, which keeps her young at heart and healthy, according to an insider speaking exclusively with Closer. 

“No matter what age she is, she has an active and full life with friends, but what keeps her in her prime is her gardening,” spills the source. “Working in her garden every day keeps her alive, as she’s admitted.” 

As the Batman actress put it, “I live, in capital letters, in Paradise.” Julie has been working in the garden of her Los Angeles property for decades, having tended to nearly 80 varieties of roses in the high-walled home. She told Better Homes & Gardens in March 2023 she now spends her time “pinching pansies” in her private plot. 

“I think I fell in love with gardens because that’s where I felt safest as a kid – out in our yard with my father,” she explained. 

Flexing a green thumb isn’t anything new to the 5-foot-11 star, who said that even as the demands of her career had her traveling more and more, she always found the time to grow a little something here and there. 

“When I was touring, I remember putting plants on the edge of the windowsill in the kitchen wherever I was staying,” the dancer-turned-actress said. “Seeing something growing gives me the sense that everything is alright and in its place.”

Now retired, the source confirms that the nonagenarian “doesn’t want for anything when she has that to keep her occupied.” 

The actress, who would go on to become a successful real estate mogul after starring in films and T.V., says she believes in a “small house, big garden,” and has no patience for what she calls “that indoor stuff,” preferring to tend to four secret garden areas designed to flow around her Brentwood home. 

“Every day I go outside, I see something new that’s blooming, and it transfixes me,” the My Living Doll star said. “I just stand there and pick up one flower and look closer and closer into it. The sepals and all those fancy Latin words that tell you what’s what. I fall down into it with a spiritual glee.” 

While she does employ landscape architects and designers, the source notes Julie takes particular care to do most of the dirty work, saying, “She loves planting and watching things grow, she doesn’t even mind the weeding part. The reward is seeing her garden thrive and the joy is seeing all the colors coming together to make a visually stunning masterpiece.” 

“She has plant varieties for every season and, of course, the Southern California climate keeps everything thriving year-round,” the insider adds. “People may marvel at how healthy and happy she looks, but it’s a no brainer to Julie.” 

“Gardening is proven to reduce stress, it helps her to concentrate and feel a sense of pride. It’s also a social activity – she loves to show it off to people.”