We also need to cover up/hide the electrical boxes that are mounted on the garage brick wall shown in the last photo. I'd love to hear thoughts on that as well! Thank you!

I don't see a filter in the pics. Where is it? Is one of those boxes your salt water control? If so you need easy access to it.

You may want to look at only plants that grow very slowly, have a shallow root system (can be container grown), and do not shed buds, leaves or flowers.....perennials maybe a good solution. Go to open houses (if possible) with pools to get a feeling on what to do. You have a super small area. Landscape architect. Arborist. Master gardener will all be of help...
Maybe clematis? Needs lots of shade at the rootball but sun on leaves....

You could add some lattice at top of fence and then plant some vines that would help block view plus add some color

Whoo,moppymo.Your zone is a beauty with lots of plant material options A few things you will need to know before you begin:
Your area of the country has a rep. for great clay deposits. Is that your yard? Find your approx. ph levels.
Are you near the ocean?
Which parts of your yard get more than 6 hrs of sun per day?
When you know those things, it next becomes a matter of what is available in your local nurseries.

Your nurseryman is about to become your best friend, as he will constantly be telling you things like "DONT plant bamboo, unless you never want to see anybody's house again!" ...seriously, you can do it, but only in a pot the size of a garbage can,if it needs to grow tall. Salt water(some) from your pool is going to get on your plants, so he's going to tell you about that, too, and then he is going to walk around the nursery with you and tell you which plants will survive the strain..those are your choices for a seven ft radius. After that, you can probably take your chances with other offerings. Pots are going to be your next best friend, because now you can have banana plants next to the neighbor's fence and move them into the window come winter so you NEVER have to see the neighbor's house. Ever.

Beyond that, I know that Italian cypress will always make me happy because it offers screening without preening. (I hate to reach around things to clip vines) It can stand on its own or disappear in the background,and it is just too easy not to use. (and yes, they look fine standing behind banana plants; they're cheeky like that). For what goes in front, go get that clever nurseryman again and whisper things like"full sun, salt tolerant" , or partial shade, 3ft flowering bush" in his ear, and watch him go!

Thank you all for the feedback! Curacoablue- the salt generator and pump and filter are all located by the house. They are enclosed in a small fenced area- just behind where you can see an AC unit sticking out. We can access them easily so they shouldn't be a problem.
Whatever we plant must grow fast and be rather large in size to start with when we plant it. Under the fence area is a city drainage line so we have to plant something with roots that won't try to take the drain over and break through it! With trying to decide on what sort of decking- we are also trying to figure out what sort of space to leave for planting.

For reasonably priced and attractive outdoor fencing, I would go with brush screen. As for the deck, I would go for a wooden deck. Although, I'm unsure about it's functionality for rain and pool water splash off.

Moppymo, a fast growing plant is more likely to break through drainage pipes than a slow one. Your best bets there are in the evergreen family, coupled with full grown specimans of bush height plants and perrenial flowers (or, again, things in pots). Best of luck.

Hi Studio10001- I must have been composing my note when you posted. Thank you for your feedback!
I have actually visited my local nurseries. The area-all along that fence- is full sun, maybe shaded right tight to the fence just a bit in the morning because of the fence itself. We are inland- and the pool does have saltwater but nothing like the ocean. I've been told to stay away from the bamboo- like you said- however we thought perhaps we could build some concrete planters and maybe line them with those rubber made totes to try to contain the bamboo. However- I cant figure out how to allow them to drain without risking those crazy bamboo culms trying to get out of the drainage holes?! I'd also have to build a bunch of huge planters in order to hide that window- and have my bamboo be dense enough. Do you think that creating such a planter thing would be a reasonable option or a waste of time and money?
Does anyone have experience with Wax Myrtles. My neighbor- the house in the photo- has them but since we are all fairly new to this neighborhood(we both are newish residents) we don't know how the trees are around the pool. The trees in her yard stayed green all winter but her landscaper hacked them off- unfortunately!

Good point on the drainage issue Studio! I hadn't thought of that when searching for plants!

Naomi- I will look into that sort of brush screen fence! I'm an unfamiliar with what it does. Thank you!

wax myrtle is a fast growing evergreen( as is the cypres i mentioned)so you'd want to get the biggest you could find to start with...if it were me, I'd wait for the neighbors' to grow back,(is that an option? Can you bribe them with swimtime,or cookies or something?) As to the bamboo -not sure the tote will be deep enough, and they could do in the concrete, as well, if it isn't thick enough. I wasn't joking about the metal trash can- bamboo is an aggressive thing that can come through pavement. Doubling the walls around it should help teach it some manners, leaving a few inches space between the pot bottoms(no hole in the one sitting on the ground) for drainage and rock. Even then, you will eventually need to pull it out and whack it to pieces periodically. There's always ligustrum - not rabid, takes to a good shear once a year or so,flowers, but not messily....

ooh - photinia would make a well behaved barrier.Not at all aggressive, and you can shore it up as a single stemmed 10-15 ft tree (pollarding opp.), if you don't like the full hedge look. Malleable bang for the buck, and evergreen to boot.