It'll be quite a while before those come back to much of anything even if you expended the effort in removing all the dead wood.

You don't say where you are, but there are likely many good substitutes - lilacs, Philadelphus, Van Houtte spirea, Nine Barks... All of which can be easily kept in check with pruning but deciduous providing spring, summer, and fall screening.

Well, I decided to remove all of those shrubs (3 of them). They were originally not planted far enough apart, were not taken care of properly by the previous homeowner, forcing them to grow into each other, which ultimately led to their demise.

After trimming as many dead branches as I could I decided to tear the shrubs out completely (stumps and all) because I knew there was no way they would regain any aesthetically pleasing shape.

So now that the task is done....I'll need some suggestions for low maintenance fast growing shrubs to plant there in the Fall so I can one day again have my privacy. Any takers?

Lastly, some branches managed to grow between the fence links and I don't know how to remove them. I used my reciprocating saw to remove a good number of them but some are so completely embedded there is nothing I can to without destroying the fence links. Any suggestions? Frankly I can't imagine how this fence was installed by the previous owners of the neighbor's home based on the photos below. Some of the shrubs even appear to originate on my neighbor's side of the fence.

They were originally not planted far enough apart, were not taken care
of properly by the previous homeowner, forcing them to grow into each
other, which ultimately led to their demise.

==>>> not really an issue for most shrubs.. that is how they grow ..

regardless... i am glad you sucked it up.. and got rid of them.. lifes too short to look at that old mess ...

just let the pieces in the fence dry out ... and MAYBE they will shrink and you can get them out in a year or two ... i see them hanging in power lines all the time ...

technically.. the fence could be taken apart ... but the heck with that.. lol ...

good job ...

ken

the link says this, a pic also:

To shorten or take two sections apart, untwist wire at barbed end of
fabric at the desired place. Loosen wire at top of fabric and begin to
corkscrew the loosened picket out, separating the two sections. To
splice two sections, you must be sure you start with a whole diamond on
one side and a half diamond on the other. Start at the top of the fabric
and corkscrew wire picket down through the ends of the sections. Twist
the wires together at barbed ends if applicable and attach top of picket
to the looped end.

http://www.wholesale.pacificfence.com/resources/how-to-build-a-chain-link-fence/

Look at full-sized Hydrangea paniculata varieties unless you want winter screening as well. As Duluth suggested Ninebarks which IMO are dense enough that they will provide some winter screening. They are fountain-shaped though, so plant several feet from the fence (at least half the width of your cultivar.) Either will be providing good privacy within three years.

In order for relevant suggestions for privacy shrubs your general location is needed.
You're going to plant a hedge in front of the fence, why do you need to take out the imbedded wood? it won't be seen. I would just spray the stumps when they sprout and be done with it.
Mike

njitgrad,

In the fall, end of September, all the nurseries will have nice low maintance evergreens for you. Your neighbors have arbs, they look nice, if you can buy at least 6 footers, and in some areas you can, I would plant them there. Is your soil a bit on the sandy side at all? They will grow fine there, arbs like sandy soil, or even a green giant blocking the biggest part, and mabey a couple smaller arbs on either side of it. I have a green giant in SC, in sandy soil, and it has survived for me. It hasn't grown much, but it looks pretty good. It will do much better in New Jersey, your temps are more suited for it.

arbs? Is that short-hand for something specific?

Those pieces in the fence would bother me. For the stumps cut a little more or drill some holes to expose the cambium (the tissue under the bark) and squirt some herbicide on them. I can't remember the brand but it's in a green bottle and it's for poison ivy and tough brush. If there are pieces that are not attached you could drill holes to make them dry out and break up faster, use a Dremel to grind away the wood, and/or burn them out with a lighter. At least, those are the things that I would try. Are those ideas smart and safe? Probably not.

I think arbs are arborvitae.

I painted on a concentrated brush killer full strength (which is what it says to do for shrub stumps). We'll see what happens. It doesn't say how long it takes to work so who knows if its even working or even if I need to periodically re-apply.