Any shrubs you plant will eat up the whole width of the bed - or is that what you are intending?

If I had a 40' long property line that I wanted to plant with tall stuff, I would mix dogwoods, redbuds and serviceberry with viburnum, lindera, witchhazel, rosa glauca, lilacs, mockorange, forsythia and blueberries in a border of irregular depth (but mostly wider than 3 feet).

Thanks! Using up the whole depth of the bed is fine, but I doubt there's room for all of your suggestions, but I will definitely look at them.

How tall are we talking about?

Kate

Well, I was thinking at least 6 feet if not taller, to be a good screen.

Deciduous shrubs won't provide much of a privacy screen for 4-6 months of the year. If even flowering broadleaf evergreen shrubs are not on your preferred list, then I'd look to shrubs that have a caning habit (produce a lot of individual stems from the root crown). Many of these tend to have an earlier bloom season, but if you select carefully, you can extend it. To much of the list leslie has provided (not all are caners), I'd consider adding oakleaf hydrangea, clethra and hardy fuchsia.

But a 3' width is bare minimum for most shrub plantings.

You may add to leslie's and gardengal's suggestions
-physocarpus opulifolius(there are some nice burgundy and orange-rust colored cultivars available),
-hydrangea paniculata (any cultivars except Limelight will work in a full sun).

I wholeheartedly agree with previous statements:
- 3' width is not enough for the most (except those with caning habit) of the abovementioned shrubs,
- with deciduous shrubs you'll not have a screen effect for at least 4-5 month a year.

Make your bed 5-6' wide, include some evergreens and you'll have a gorgeous and functional border.

Looking for recommendations for planting Limelight Hydrangeas as a soft screen border. I have purchased 6 - how far apart should they be planted and aesthetically is it preferrable to plant in a staggered appearance (2-3 feet forward and backward) or in a straight line?

I was hoping to incorporate a Limelight hydrangea as part of a screen...ego...are you saying it just wouldn't like a full sun location?

pm2

Some of the ornamental grasses can provide color and interest. The taller varieties, if purchased as 3 gallon size, may reach a tall height in one year. They will fulfill late summer, fall and winter interest. However, most need to be trimmed in late winter. Through spring, they will mostly be short. Mixing a few in with shrubs can be interesting.

Here in zone 7, planting a hydgrangea in full sun won't work. They like part shade and more moisture here. I don't know about your zone.

If deer are a problem, do some research before spending your money so that you'll select deer tolerant shrubs. I've not found deer to like any of the ornamental grasses. They adore hydrangeas!

Cameron

Ya, even oakleafs, which do well in part shade here, look pretty wilty on a July afternoon in z7. If you're going for hydrangeas, you need h. paniculata.

Actually, I have more or less what the poster asked for and find that even bare, deciduous branches, while not completely blocking the view of the neighbor's property, do a good job as a visual screen and focuses the eye inside the border. But it's a 8-to-12 foot border, not a 3 foot one. The rhodies under one of the dogwoods form a more complete block, but, in winter, a complete block is not so necessary, since I don't spend a lot of time outdoors then.

I grow Limelight in a southern exposure, but with shade in the worst heat of the afternoon. It does well. Hydrangea paniculata Tardiva takes full sun and it my favorite of the two when in bloom. They are both excellent shrubs.

If Loropetalum chinensis is hardy in your area, it would make a wonderful evergreen screen that blooms too. For my money, it looks more like a deciduous shrub than most evergreens. There are many sizes, but the majority of them would be plenty big for you. They can be trained into small trees and are beautiful that way. There are cultivars with deep purple leaves and the white blooming one has grey green leaves.

Limelight is not any different than any other paniculata in this respect and will take full sun, no problem...but it will lose its LIME color in full sun fairly fast and then it will look exactly as good old PG.
Contrary, if planted in a sunny, but less than a full sun exposure, say 4 hrs of either morning or evening sun, it will retain its color for good 40-50 days before turning pink(ish).
Tardiva, being the latest bloomer of all paniculata definitely need a full sun, especialy in a northern climate.

Have you thought about Heavenly Bamboo (Nandina domestica)? I planted 3 of these on the front border of my property last fall so they aren't very tall yet, but are supposed to grow fast.

Here is the plant info from Lowes (where I bought the plants):
Plant Type: Shrub
Sun Exposure: Full Sun
Growth Rate: Fast Growth
Average Height: 6-8'
Cold Hardiness: -10 F

Graceful upright evergreen. Young leaves coppery to purple red. Mature foliage is leathery, blue green with red tinit after first hard frost. Clusters of tiny white flowers appear May and June. Red berries in winter.

Spacing: 3-4'
Water Usage: Semi-Moist
Pruning: Prune to keep compact

Successful growing requires excellent drainage.

There are different varieties of heavenly bamboo. Some are invasive some not. I have the firepower which only grows to 30"x30" and does not have berries. So look around at the different varieties.

Hi. I also have a border that backs up to my neighbor's driveway. I used ornamental grasses with a few shrubs mixed in for privacy. You do need to cut them down in the spring, so for about 2 months or so you have less privacy while they are growng back. Here's a pic for you to see..

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THis is a veiw from my neighbor's driveway, as you can see you can't see my yard.

jody

I had the same need for privacy several years ago. A very wise horticulture teacher told me what I needed was "Little Gem Magnolia". It is evergreen here in Tennessee, forms a neat hedge, about 12' at this point & has beautiful fragrant white blooms all summer. It is too good to believe. I ended up buying about 30, planting them 7' apart down both sides of my yard. I have NEVER had one die.