I'm the one who's always saying to post pics but You need a lot of trees there dude.
Unless you want to watch the games and have the light beaming in your window you need some trees to screen the back. I'd haul in enough dirt to build a 2' or higher berm and do a mixed planting of evergreens there. (regionally popular screen trees) You might as well just buy a bunch of small evergreens instead of larger ones. By the time the money crunch goes away you will have something there. Butterflies magnolia and other small ornamentals would be nice around the patio.
I'd put in some of those big monsters (tulip popar, n red oak etc) off to the side but not so much to overhang your neighbors yards.

And don't put in a straight row of same trees. The goal is not for a prospective future home buyer to go out there and say "what are they hiding behind that row of trees" but instead to say "That is lovely landscaping... I really love that grouping of norway spruce. It looks fabulous situated next to the grouping of american holly."

my best advice.. get to a local arboretum ... or tree farm ...

where are you exactly .. perhaps we can lead you in the right direction ....

and exactly what is your budget ... is this a 'all in one swoop' lets get it done thing because there is no budget ... or are you starting a collection??

how long do you plan on being there??? .. how small are you willing to start .. plant wise ...

in photobucket...use the HTML tag line to insert pix directly in your post.. on PREVIEW.. if you see it we will see it ....

though i don't know how to do that with a photo album like yours... but you could have used the LINK box below where you typed to link us to the album ... anyway ...

and please keep in mind .... smaller trees grow faster than transplanting bigger trees.. and cost a lot less ... keep that in mind regarding the patio .... IMHO ... a mail ordered, $20 4 foot whip just MIGHT outgrow a 15 foot 500 dollar tree in 5 years .... because the monster will take that much longer to 'get a move' on .. the shock of transplant and all ...

and finally .. what kind of soil did the developer leave you under the grass .... clay or sand.. or somewhere in between????

more facts.. more answers.. ken

Ken: do you live in Adrian? I usually get my trees at Gee Farms if you are familiar with them. For anyone else, zone/conditions near Lansing, Mich.

Soil has lots of clay and lots of 2" rocks that makes the digging tough. It used to be farmland (less than 10 yr ago); probably corn/wheat/soy rotation. I've never done a soil analysis.

This is a continual plan; I mentioned a multi-year plan. I am planning on being here for the next ten years at least. I'm willing to start two trees at a time (that's what I have been doing). Small possibility of using some savings for a little larger arrangement ($1000). Otherwise a couple hundred (one tree will be a gift- under $100 for sure). My other trees have all been about $60 5-6'.

I am trying to remind myself that I've read smaller grows better; I nearly bought a giant tree this summer for instant gratification.

I will try again on the pictures- this is new for me. I don't usually post pictures or personal information. I thought it would show up as a link. I can't figure how to get the pic in the post. Can't copy and paste it.

QQ: Yes, I would prefer a mix of interesting trees with varying colors and heights, not just three in a row. If I build a berm, don't I need to let it stand a season before planting trees in it? And I would bring in compost and cover with mulch for that? We're talking 5+ yards of dirt? 10? Were you suggesting all along the back line or back and side?

I'm going to try and get out to get pictures of some things I like-and don't like- then head over to a tree farm. If you have specific suggestions of groupings I'd like to hear them.

Here is a link that might be useful: Backyard

get some horse sh*t - best thing in the world for clay soils

To tell you the truth I would just have them haul in a few CY's of screened clay loam fill dirt and rent a bobcat and be done with it in a few hrs. Trees grow in this kind of soil even though it may not be the most desirable for other types of garden plants and it makes a heck of a hill. I'm not into ammendments or compost too much. If the tree is not adaptable to the type of soil I have then I pin a photo of one to the wall and plant something else.

I make a lot of decisions based on what deals I can negotiate. Some of my most recent 2" q. lyrata for $15, 7' multistem amalanchier for $15, 5' em green arbs $10 ea, 5' picea abies $35 ea. I just try to make contacts and shop around and see what people have. When I think something is overpriced I say have a nice day and leave it for someone else. I'm not made of money but I would go nuts if I limited myself to 2 trees a year. Once in a blue moon I splurge and overpay for something. Let me just say that every tree I currently have that I paid over $200 for are not my favorites or I'm not all that fond of.