devonskies, if you could post a photo of the site would be helpful.

Hey D., I took a picture today of what I use behind my pool. I don't have an auto repair shop next door and privacy isn't really a problem without the bushes but I thought they'd give a nice effect to the pool. The plants are Loropetalum - now in flower -, thunbergia vogilliana 'Tru-Blu' and Breynia nervosa or 'Confetti bush'. The trio is repeated on the other side of the lamp post and seat (just visible). I trim them to about 2 metres or a bit more once or twice a year. The effect is dense.
B.

That's beautiful, Bill. You really do have an eye for design (and skill with the seccateurs!).
Devon I was also thinking maybe a trellis of "star jasmine" - Trachelospermum jasminoides - in fact if there is a way to increase the fence height with a trellis (and the neighbour is agreeable and that doesn't require council approval) then there are a number of climbers that could fill in the gaps while something like star jasmine was establishing. It can be clipped, is quite dense and has the advantage of a sweet flowering.

Thank you Alison, actually the loropetalum at this stage of its maturity is looking absolutely gorgeus and is attracting comment from occasional visitors. Here's a glimpse of it from the other side, next to the flowering thunbergia. By the way, it's more the shears than the seccateurs.