I'd plant western red cedars. They grow faster than hedging. I back onto a park and that's what we did. We keep them pruned so that they're about 2' wide, otherwise they do get fatter. We prune in spring and fall and now the growth is quite dense.

Dear Sooz,
Argh! What a situation! I feel for you!
How about a row of cherry laurels? They make a pretty fast hedge, they grow in clay, are not expensive, can be grown as trees or shrubs, are evergreen, and the birds love them!
That is my first and best suggestion. I hope that other folks will have some other ideas too.
Best,
FW

My idea may not be helpful or timely, but what about those tall Italian Cypress Shrub Trees. You could probably get plants that are already tall to be transplanted against your back fence.

Bamboo! They grow tall and fast.

For plants, arborvitae grow fast and and tolerant of all kinds of soils, droughts, etc. They're similar to the italian cyprus.

If you're looking for something temporary, could you consider one of those portable car ports, they're like a tent but are about 10x20 or something like that. We've got one on our RV pad that DH uses as part of his shop and it's enclosed on 4 sides, but the sides are removable if he choses. We bought ours at Costco a few years ago and love it.

Here is a link that might be useful: carport canopy

I don't know what would grow well in your climate, but you said, "City ordinances prohibit building a fence high enough to block them". If you have city ordinances for fence height don't you also have them for structures? As long as your shed is in compliance and you know there won't be a problem there, I'd call the city and ask them to come out and look at what's been done. In my town, you can't do that to a tree, for starters, but you also can't build a structure like that, either. Worth checking before you start planting.

Best thing in ANY case is to NEVER leave a dog outside unattended. A determined nut-job pittie will get under or through that fence in a heartbeat and your pup would be a goner.

Short term: Dig a couple of 2' deep holes and sink a length of 3" pvc pipe in them to hold a couple of titling 8-10' patio umbrellas to screen off your dog area.

Long term: buy and have professionally installed a couple or three of the biggest Leyland Cyprus trees you can afford about two feet back from that fence. A fifty gallon one like in this pic will run you about $100-$150. They'll grow at least three feet tall a year.

See if you can find the April 2010 issue of Better Homes and Gardens. They have a story (starting on page 107) about a similar situation. The fence couldn't be over a certain height, but the owners installed a sturdy trellis about a foot inside the fence and trained vines over it to obscure the view. They also used shade sails in one areas for both shading and screening. Their yard/garden is beautiful but no doubt they spent a pretty penny. However, you might be able to borrow and tweak some of their ideas. Of course, you'd need to be sure the trellis didn't violate any ordinances either.

You've received some good suggestions already, but I'll add one more that friends of ours did for privacy. They also couldn't put up a taller fence, but the ordinance allowed an arbor which they added on the inside up about 2-3 ft above their fence. Here's a picture that shows a similar arbor.
{{!gwi}}

They planted rapidly growing evergreen vines that really fill in somewhat like the second picture. It really made the yard very inviting as well as screening the view from the neighbor. Their vines are covering the top of the arbor as well.

{{!gwi}}

Here's a link that also shows free plans to make the arbor.

Here is a link that might be useful: Instructions for building an arbor

Thank you all for your helpful suggestions!

I think we'll have to go with western red cedars, cherry laurels, Italian cypress, arborvitae or Leyland cypress. I'll be reading my Western Garden book later tonight to see which ones will flourish in our zone.

Unfortunately, bamboo is on the invasive list here so I don't really want to use that even though it would be a fast growing and effective screen. The carport and umbrella ideas are good as well, but I think it would shade the area too much.

Sheds of specific dimensions don't need a permit, and replacing an existing patio structure or free-standing gazebo, pergola, etc also don't need a permit. However, with so many aerial photos of everyone's home being on-line accessible, I'm sure the city has folks who do nothing but check to see what's been built or added on in backyards across the city and then they cross reference what permits have been pulled.

So far, no dogs next door. I'm keeping my fingers crossed.

Spitfire, I actually have that issue of BH&G, and yes, that is such a beautiful space the owners created--such care and planning and thoughtfulness for their yard!

Thank you all again!!!
Smiles,
Sooz

Thanks, sujafr, for the great photo examples and the link. It's along the lines that Spitfire was mentioning that was in the BH&G magazine.

One thing you might consider is to build a raised bed. That way, anything you plant will have a 2-3' headstart. It could look quite nice with tall bushes and something that flows over the edge.

Is shooting ALLOWED inside your city limits???

There are homeowners near us that expressed a similar privacy issue. Our area has a 6' height restriction for fences, BUT a homeowner can erect a trellis within the fence without breaking the code restrictions.

Their trellis is 9' - 10' high, 8" into their yard, and now that it's covered with greenery provides a legal privacy screen. Would this work for you?

I can't believe this man was allowed to butcher the tree like that. He didn't violate any ordinances by doing this?

There is a form of bamboo called "clumping bamboo" that is not invasive. It can grow very tall in just a short time.

Here is a link that might be useful: clumping bamboo

I am glad you got some good suggestions. When I was reading your post I was like "Ahh, hmmm, how bad can it be?" As I scrolled down and saw the picture...WOW, I really feel for you. I hope one of these suggestions work for you. Good luck!

Talk about the neighbors from h_ _ _!! I am totally out of my element when it comes to anything outdoors but I'm glad you got some good suggestions. Good luck

You could grow bamboo in big pots, if you're not sure about wanting to put something in the ground. I think the arbor is an elegant solution, but I'd not leave the dogs outside alone ever.

"Also, the kids have some kind of an air gun or something, where, from the tree house platform, they try to hit empty cans that were set up just for this shooting activity. I can hear a ping! sound, and an adult voice complimenting them on hitting the cans. Oh boy. "

The next time you hear target shooting call the police.
How are you to know that it is an air gun?

And get those plants started NOW!

I bet it's an air soft gun. That's what all the kids around my town are into right now. They shoot little plastic pellets. You might check with the city to see if there are restrictions inside city limits or such.

I don't have any suggestions, but I feel so bad for you. I hope whatever you decide to do does the trick and fast!

I'm hoping that's a fruitless mulberry and will send out tons of shoots to re-form itself somewhat. I see that some people aroud here pollard theirs around to keep the tree size in check - not that I think it's a good idea. (And not that your neighbor knows how to properly pollard - obviously.)

I'm just saying that there may be hope to have some privacy by summer...

Here is a link that might be useful: Pollarding article

Thank you all so much for the wonderful ideas! I'll be looking at tilting umbrellas later tonight as an immediate measure. Will a 7 foot umbrella be tall enough, do you think? Maybe a 9 foot umbrella would be best? Definitely with a tilt ! !

One of my friends mentioned that she thought the tree was a fruitless mulberry, so I guess there IS hope that the tree will come back...it was a lovely tree and to see it's limbs amputated is terrible!

It IS against the law to discharge a firearm in the city limits. I did NOT see the gun, but just heard the ping it made. If I hear it again, I will call the police!

I'm meeting with a "handyman" to see about adding a trellis or pergola or to see what other ideas he may have so this issue can be addressed. I don't think any plants will grow fast enough for me, but the clumping bamboo is a good suggestion as well as the other plants recommended!

I considered making nice with the adult(s) who now live there, and saying I sunbathe often in the nude, so they may want to keep their boys/children off the tree's platform ... yeah, nothing like an old tubby wubby woman, hanging and sagging and dragging! Of course I'd never do it, but maybe them just *thinking* of what their children would see might be enough to keep the kids out of the tree! ha ha

Meanwhile, here's one of our sweet babies we want to protect. She is all of 20 lbs:

DSs are grown and I have no grandkids so am totally out of this loop, so I googled air soft guns and this is one of the many sites that came up. Very interesting reading. They aren't harmless.........

Here is a link that might be useful: Article on Legal Aspects of air soft guns

Sooz, you could consider getting both a 7-ft & a 9-ft umbrella, & putting them side by side (more or less) to see which works best for you. I've seen them at Target & the home improvement stores, as well as in catalogs such as Garden Supply, Grandinrod, Pottery Barn, etc. Let us know how it all works out for you.

What a winsome expression on your dog! She looks so sweet.

Sooz, I totally feel your pain. These are arborvitae techni. Here in the midwest they are very hardy. Just watch for bagworms. If they appear, spray and they will go away. Our trees are about 25 years old. We lost a few to a bad storm last year. I would hate to lose the rest. Good luck!

Love your name, wanttoretire_did, and thanks for the link.

Kathleen, I ordered two umbrellas from Overstock, and hope to "stagger them to block our yard from the boys on the tree platform. If that doesn't work, I have a few other ideas from this and my other post.

sjt, thanks for the suggestion and the (beautiful!) photo--I think that's what my sister has in her backyard, and gosh, do they ever grow tall and thick!

Smiles,
Sooz

i 2nd the suggestion of the leyland cypress...hardy and FAST growers! be aware that arborvitae are DEER CANDY if you live where deer also live...

Based on the space you have, you really don't have room for anything with a diameter over a few feet and I think a vining arbor screen would be ideal for this situation.
I'm so sorry this happened to you.

Thanks, Busy and Bumble-- We're in the city so deer are not a problem. Right now, we're waiting to get the estimate for a "temporary" trellis so we can recycle some 30 ft x 4 ft suncloth blocking material--the 30 ft x 30 ft coolaroo sunshade came apart at the seams during the big windstorm this year! That may or may not work, and we are still considering some kind of hardy tall plant.

The 9 ft and 10 ft umbrellas should be delivered tomorrow, and that might be the best solution -- we'll see, once we get them up and stable.

Thanks again for all the good thoughts and ideas, and the empathy!
Smiles,
Sooz

Speaking of permits--is that treehouse allowed?

You do know that this thread is more than 9 years old, don't you?