It looks like any shrubs that would grow over 6 feet would work. You don't give your zone, so it's hard to suggest anything in particular.

That neighbor should be kicked out. Everyone in Canada is supposed to be friendly!!

"adding to the row of cedars would be very difficult now."

Why would planting a few more Thuja be more difficult than planting anything else? It would make for continuity and they would be more care free than the alternatives.

Failing that I would want something that provided privacy year round, so conifers or broadleaved evergreens it is. Hollies/inkberry would work, as would rhododendrons, boxwoods, and Pieris.

All depends on what you like and how much maintenance you want to do.

As far as adding to the spruce or maple areas, you'd need to expand their beds somehow- otherwise you're just plopping some singleton right in a grass area that looks to be something of a pathway from back to front. You have to think how that would affect foot traffic and more importantly mowing- you just don't want a lot of "tree here, shrub there" islands that you have to mow around. If it was me I'd just extend that row of Thuja along the fence line and be done. Maybe transitioning to a smaller variety Thuja as it gets toward the front of the home, but still providing 12 month privacy. Dogwoods will do nothing for winter privacy.

Is that your fence or the neighbor’s? Are you’re restricted by homeowner association rules? Changing the fence to a more solid one would be the first fix. Constructing a gate from the side of the house to the fence is another. Simplest would seem to be planting a few more of the thuja down the line.

So, I guess you also are saying a privacy fence also is out of the question. That would be my first choice.

Barring a fence, or in addition to a fence, I agree with cearbhaill, in that if you want year-round privacy, evergreens are nice. The broadleaf Evergreens I have do not do much for privacy, as they don't fill in well. In my own yard, where I have used evergreens to block a view, I have staggered them instead of making a straight line, and I have layered them to ensure no views get through. I used Canadian Hemlock as the back layer, because their layered horizontal branching is so beautiful, and because I needed to block two-stories of view. Because hemlocks can thin out at the bottom over time, I used false yews in front of the hemlocks. I couldn't use real yews because of the deer here. I don't know if these would be hardy where you are. Canadian Hemlock need wind protection. But I wanted to share the general staggered, layered, and height concepts for serious privacy. Even if you used spruce trees, I'd plan on more than one if you can't put in a privacy fence.

Thanks for the comments

I agree that adding more thuja would be ideal. It was just poor timing on my tree installers. They delayed the maple, and it went in the same time my fence (the iron in the pic) was going in. The two contractors were actually arguing over the space. Big headache. Once the maple was in, the fence was completed. After which I saw the gap.

With the fence in, I don’t have clearance to bring in the bobcat used for the larger thuja. I’d have to go down in size and wait for them the grow in. The soil at the property line is pretty bad (a lot of gravel spilled over from the neighbors slabs, which the builder had installed). So that whole area would need to be dug out to ensure happy healthy thuja. I’ve got about 3’ of fence, then a 4’ gate, and then 3’ more until the wall. So I cannot have anything too wide or it will impact the gate.

So that’s why I’m considering some sort of shrub closer to the pool, to aid in privacy. There’s about 10’ between the spruce bed and the maple, so I’m not adverse to increasing the size of the bed to add in other plants. Also considering some planting next to my shed/generator pad. Im hoping layers of shrubs will add to the privacy.

There’s about 10’ from the spruces to the stone (on the other side of those chairs). It provides a sort of “entrance” to the decking from the grass. I am thinking that shrinking that gap (by planting around the stone and at the end of the spruces) could also help. Two similar round shrubs.

The rest of the yard is barebones in terms planting. We have some city line hydrangeas along the deck, and columnar oaks and a single emperor Japanese maple along the other side of the yard. And some mature lindens along the back. So style is really up in the air and go in any direction.

The fence is new, and mine, and I don’t want to replace it since I just installed it.

Im not concerned about year-round privacy. Really just for the summer. So even some well placed broad-leaf hydrangeas or other shrub could work. Again, I am just clueless about plants.

Again, thanks in advance for any help!

What about an elderberry bush or a lilac bush? The elderberry grows faster, they say, to 6-12 feet in three years, but there are the berries to contend with, although they’re full of health benefits. Lilacs grow slower about 12in per year, but no berries, and they are one of the first to leaf out in the spring. Im planting both as a screening hedge. Mine is for the illusion of privacy since our neighbors are quite a bit higher than we are and thus will always be able to see over. My husband didn’t want evergreen trees because of concerns over pipelines, so that is what we are going with.

What is the largest width shrub that the area behind the two Adirondack chairs can accommodate? There are a number of carefree shrubs such as larger spiraea, ninebark, wigela, that would be fine there without rich moist soil.

Thanks

I was thinking about a reblooming lilac for another area of the yard (along the opposite fence). Maybe here and there could work and add some consistency

If you picture a triangle, the end of my spruce bed to the maple bed is about 10’, and going down, the spruces to the stone is also 10’

It might be weird to encroach much more onto the area between the spruces and maples, without oddly cutting that shed area off. But I think I could reasonable manage a 3-4’ shrub on either side of the chairs, between the spruces and the stone. Right now it’s just a big rock plopped down between my pool deck and grass…so if I planted around it, it wouldn’t be so odd…I think?

And thanks for the suggestions. Do the spirea, weigela, and ninebark naturally take on a rounded shape?

I originally had a row of strawberry vanilla hydrangeas planted, because my neighbor put up a hideous black vinyl fence. Those were pulled out and replaced with the thuja. I was originally going to place a few of the hydrangea along the wrought iron (which was installed in front of the vinyl, to corner off my property). I thought they would look good once they filled in, against the metal. But they were pulled out for too long, and didn’t do well….the few I have are really leggy and not very good looking after a whole summer neglected out in containers. Which is why I switched to dogwood. And why I’m here now :)

And I just took another look. I’ve actually got about 12-13’ behind those chairs. Here’s another angle. The area in question is on the left side of the picture

The spiraea, weigela, and ninebark (physocarpus) do take on a rounded shape. There are many cultivars of varying sizes for the first two. I mention these three because they require little care. The ninebark has multi-season interest due to the textured bark, and the dark leaved varieties add another dimension to the garden. However, none is at their floriferous best during midsummer pool season. Most flowering shrubs are past their bloom in July. If you want the floral aspect by the pool there are many hydrangeas cultivars to consider. They need more attention than the aforementioned. For smaller shrubs, the spiraeas have more to choose from. Figure out the maximum height and width that will work for you and go to a large nursery for help. For any evergreens you plan, get them into the ground asap or wait until spring. Dropping soil temperatures are more risky for them. In general, you'll have much more to choose from if you wait until then for all plant material.

Ninebark is a beautiful shrub that is thankfully interesting beyond the couple of weeks that it blooms. But it has an ARCHING habit. Easy to prune after flowering to control shape and size. It's a speedy grower and the arching stems can be visually obstructive if you want them to be. One of my favorite shrubs.

Heading to the nursery this afternoon. I’m considering all or some of ninebark, Tiger eyes sumac, and dappled willows as the main characters in my new/expanded beds

Any of these three don’t belong together? What would be some nice companions?

I think creating a larger bed for spruces or around the stone will give me what I need