You do realize that vegetation has little effect on sound, right? After your screening is completed you'll still be able to hear them pretty much the same as before, just not see them as much. You've been running out of money for this because you have been starting with big plants, that cost a lot more than smaller ones. If you have deer there they would probably sooner or later go after the arborvitae during the winter, with on some sites them keeping the lower parts of arborvitae plantings nibbled like tea plantations (or worse). In the heavily shaded area you will have to try something like yews or hemlocks. And due to the adelgid problem that may just leave yews.

Or hollies, if it doesn't have to be conifers.

Speaking of adelgids there's bugs (and blights) that often get on plantings of spruce species outside of their native areas. And consistent with this it looks like the larger and bluer Colorado spruce (?) already has something that is affecting the inside of it, as often happens here in my location also.

So perhaps the recently planted Black Hills spruce are going to develop this condition as well.

I know I took a chance on the spruce, in my area there are many unhealthy conifers, my neighbor has some Colorados that are 10x worse than mine. But I also have neighbors with spruce that are flourishing. I think my Colorados do not receive enough sunlight, but perhaps it is something else. I am going to nix the arborvitae idea and go with a trellis instead. Can anyone recommend a good place to find a nice, tall trellis?

Someone also suggested Pagoda Dogwood on the northside. That area gets good morning and early afternoon sun, shade in the evening.

I grew up in Livonia, also. I have lived all over Livonia, went to Franklin for high school. Just moved out to Genoa Township (Howell mailing address). It's nice out here, and cheaper than say, Plymouth or South Lyon where I was also looking.

I have decided to go with a trellis or lattice for that one side of the patio, maybe grow some vines through it. Can you recommend any? Those neighbors are actually a couple with no kids, in their 40's. Problem is they party like teenagers. My whole neighborhood is nice and quiet, except for those neighbors. And they don't have a neighbor on their other side, they live next to the road. My wife and I are quiet, private people, in our 30's, but after buying this house I am starting to feel like I'm in my 60's, watering flowers and trees all day. I just want a backyard I can go out to and not have to see another human being! Wish I had more money to make that happen!

By the way Ken, can you recommend a good tree to grow in front of the house, right by the street? I have one 15 year old maple on one side, but the other side (as seen in the picture that says "north side, view from back" needs something. That spot will get lots of sun. I think I want a show stopper there, something different.

Can you legally put up a garden shed? That would be a fairly instant screen. I've been reading "Desert Gardens of Steve Martino" and one of his go-to techniques for privacy is putting up a legal structure of some sort--a pergola, shed, pool house, partial wall, etc., for screening out neighbors. (I know you are not in the desert, but screening out neighbors is an issue in all climates.)

Another idea is to look at large shrubs, not trees. Just-tall-enough will be tall enough.

Yes: you are going to be boxing yourself in with all these tall-growing conifers.

To continue on last year's privacy mission, I am brainstorming on how to go about adding a few more plants.

On the south side next to the patio, I think I am pretty set on adding 7 or 8 emerald green arborvitae. I can get some 6 or 7 footers pretty cheap from home depot, they will screen well, and they won't outgrow the space.

The north side is where I am stuck. On the picture with the red dot labeled "evergreen" (was originally planning on a conifer) I am thinking about adding a large flowering bush. Viburnum or hydrangea or something like that, hopefully one that will grow fast and full. Also, close to the garage I would like to plant something similar. Can anyone recommend something that will grow quickly and not look out of place? It needs to be able to grow 6 or 7 feet to provide a partial screen.

Along the very back of the property line I think I will plant 2 or 3 small Green Giant Thuja. They won't get much sun, but hopefully they will fill it out while also providing some year round screening.

Although often slow-growing under ordinary conditions 'Smaragd' should still be expected to grow about 35 ft. tall over time. With a proportionate width. The 'Green Giant' will be a lot thinner and more see-through if placed in a heavily shaded location, than it is when given full light.

i went to franklin also ... class of 77 ... boy i hate going back to the 'city' ....

i am amazed .. and dont buy for a minute.. Howell as z6 .. dont waste money on zone pushing z6 plants.. imo ...

smargard is famously sold as multi leadered plants at big box ... snow and ice load can cause severe issues.. a decade or two down the line ... such as ...

https://duckduckgo.com/?q=Thuja++splay+snow+ice+damage&t=ffcm&iar=images&iax=images&ia=images

it usually happens a few years after you decide they are just perfect ... lol ...

if you can find single leader plants.. pay extra ... which can be offset by going smaller ....

you are not far from gee tree farm in stockbridge.. nor arrowhead alpines in fowlerville ...

http://www.arrowheadalpines.com/

https://geefarms.com/

both used to be my go to places ... not cheap mind you ... and both worth a day trip ... though for you... its not that far ... besides.. your neighbors wont be there.. lol .... at gee's.. if you ask nice.. they will golfcart you over to the ten acre show garden .... or at your age.. just walk ....its not that far ....

both have extensive gardens for touring ... besides the sales area ... but to be honest.. i havent been to either in quite a few years ... i hope they still do ....

GG are not going to grow fast in shade .. and they are slower than advertised.. in MI.. considering 4 to 6 months of dormancy.. with frozen ground ... for 3 or 4 months ....

ken

"GG are not going to grow fast in shade"

They grow like weeds in shade here!! Both parent species of this hybrid are extremely shade tolerant....in fact, native environments of both are typically very shady coniferous forests.

And I'd love to know where those confirmed 35' 'Smaragd's are located :-) Odd when virtually every conifer reference available quotes something like 15-18', rarely as much as 20'.

So here is my current plan:

Add 2 of these privacy screen panels to the side of the patio, I can't bolt them into the pavers and I don't want to dig any posts, so I am going to flank them on the bottom with large metal planter boxes. They only cover about 7' wide total, but they are 6.5' tall and that should give immediate relief at least while sitting on the patio.

But I still want to plant a few arborvitae that will in time provide a full screen. Here is a reminder of where they will be going.

So here is the big question: should I plant about 3 techny arbovitae, 4 American arborvitae, or several emerald green?

Less planting is appealing to me, but will the techny arborvitae be too much for that small space? Those two Black Hills spruce are about 15-20' away from the patio. Techny get about 8-10' wide, so they should get tight in the future. I really don't feel like planting 8+ emeralds, though. I am already planning to plant 8 other trees throughout the yard this spring.

As an aside, any opinion on the esthetics of those privacy screens I posted above? Anybody think it's going to look stupid and ugly? The cost for two screens is $600, plus another $400+ for metal planters, so it's not going to be cheap. I prefer the look of trees as opposed to fences or screens, but I really need an instant fix.