We have 100' of Eugenia hedge which was here when we bought the house over 40 years ago, so it's pretty old. It is all planted next to a wall which shades the bottoms, much of it is leggy but green and bushy above the wall. . I think the best you can do is keep it topped, but I don't hold out much hope for lower branching. It hasn't happened to us as we keep ours topped.

I like your idea of planting a few shade loving plants on the shady side. You are looking for more privacy in your seating area? Would you consider one of those bamboo fence things which you unroll? Maybe that's too tacky. Clivia is a nice shade-loving plant, but you probably want more coverage than clivia.

We used to spray for psyllid but it hasn't been a problem for quite a few years.

Thanks socks, yes I'm sure you're right about branching at the bottom. Interesting that you mentioned a bamboo fence. I was just looking at pictures of live bamboo in containers for small gardens. They look very elegant and many love the shade.

Live bamboo plants are a whole different thing than bamboo fencing. Live plants are prettier, but they can be very invasive.