Build a privacy screen closer to where you hang out. I Googled fast growing trees in Arizona and there is quite a list. Palo Verde, Mesquite, Acacia etc., check it out. And they don't need to be in a raised planter. They don't sound like expensive trees and would not take long to start filling in or at least break up the offending view.

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I think lots of people build taller privacy screen, free standing, in front of height restricted fences and cover them with plants and vines. You'll have to know your HOA rules. Same with putting in berms or planters to raise your starting point. A pic of your problem area would be helpful for other ideas. Tracefloyd posted some great ideas.

This didn't post for some reason:

t:

If you want to keep it simple some trees grow very fast from 15 gallon size and you don't have to dig a big hole. Easier planting and less cost. Desert Museum Palo Verde will take two or three years to grow from 15 gallon to start obscuring your view.

If you want narrower trees the Australian Acacias are great. We have A. Aneura, A. Jennerae, and 4 A. Salicina to screen views and they have grown quite quickly. I wouldn't use planters against the wall because alkaline hose water degrades block and any water rots wood.

We used sunshade cloth as our privacy fencing. Cheap, effective and easy to put up. You can get different percentages of see-through. You can get a big roll or order it with grommets and use bungees. Different colors, too.

You might want to check with your township if there is a buffer zone that needs to be maintained by the mall. If so they might have to replace the trees. Depends if they are grandfathered.

My township has green buffer zones that must be maintained with X units of trees and shrubs. EX: A HOA housing plan requires a 10 foot buffer zone boarding other preexisting homes or non developed residental zoned properties and must be maintained by the HOA. The buffer zones get larger as you get into commercial and industrial properties.

IMO a picture or two of your space would be ahuge help. I will say often privacy is not as big an issue as you might think but I need to see your space .

Privacy is obviously an issue or they wouldn’t be asking for help achieving it!

@tracefloyd I do like that sun shade material, that is an interesting idea to throw in the mix. I am starting to think maybe I can get some of that, in the thickest and most opaque option and put that on some 2x4 wood and build a little privacy panel with feet, that can stand in front of the walls and block the view, plus its not too expensive, I just went to home depot and they have rolls for a good price. I will put this in the maybe pile, cool idea. I am wanting to build a little freestanding pergola and this stuff would be perfect for the roof so I don't have to build a whole roof of slats, just grommet up some shade material and I have instant shade!

@tracefloyd Seeing as how you've used that shade material, how does it hold up to wind and extreme weather? We don't get hurricanes, tornadoes or any of that, but we do get some strong summer storms, enough to blow away umbrellas and take out fragile tree limbs, I assume since the material is perforated the wind goes through it, as opposed to against it? Just curious how it's held up to the elements, my concern is wind and hot hot hot sun, I'm talking 115 degree heat in August hot sun. Thanks again!

@mojavemaria That is a great point I did not think about, about the planters on the wall degrading and rotting the brick. I also looked at how much the brick and fill dirt would be and it's really not a good option, I also don't need the wall to rot and get eroded away because I would be watering a lot. I am a BIG FAN of acacia salicinia, I have 2 in the backyard that are young, I put them in for future shade in the other part of the yard. I was considering getting a few more and putting them along this bad-view wall, since they grow up nice and tall and fill in well. I love Acacia Aneura but they take a long long time to grow up, beautiful but a little slow for my needs. I am looking into Ficus Nitida, its really popular out here and in southern California, it really is the thickest and prettiest privacy hedge, it can just be hard to find TALL ones that aren't crazy expensive. I am starting to think of a hybrid idea for this problem...Planting the tallest privacy trees/hedges I can find at the ends of this wall, and then building some simple wood privacy slats that are free-standing in between those trees, and then train vines and tall shrubs on those privacy slats. So in time I have trees "capping" the privacy panels at the ends, and nice shrubs growing up those, eventually the wood of the slats wouldnt even be visible, it'd be just a wall of green plants hiding an ugly view. That's the vision I just got, what do you think??

Hi Mick,

Well, I recommended so highly that I insist that you use it lol. No really, we have used it vertcally on our cyclone fence for privacy, I'm sure you've seen that at constucion sites. It's been in perfect shape for years. Practically indestructable. Stays clean. One side only fell recently because the plastic clips that held it finally gave out but the material is like new still.

We have used it horizontally as a sun shade over the patio. We ordered three triangular pieces so they overlap at different angles in red, blue and brown. Interesting effect. They hold up against the wind because they porous. Leaves don't get stuck at all and just blow right off. Amazing.

We put some up last spring in our mountain house on a hill. 2x4's attached to the deck fence vertically for a sunshade. With some fierce winds they perform like a champ. Our fancy expensive cantilever umbrella blew apart and busted up in minutes. Metal pieces flying everywhere. Had some late snow, rain, hail, you name it, didn't faze the shade cloth.

They come in big rolls you can cut to size or get ready made sizes with grommets already in the corners. We use bungees for more flexibility in the wind. Use regular bungees or long rope bungee, cut and tie off. Even the 90-95% block lets some filtered light and view through depending on the background but enough for plenty of privacy. Glad to be of help.

P.S. Not sure they are much help overhead in that kind of heat as they let some light through, but sun is no problem as far as the material. We had that kind of heat in California this summer and who wants to be outdoors anyway, right?

Can you add something like this to the top of a 3' high bed?

https://www.wayfair.com/outdoor/pdp/bay-isle-home-6-ft-h-x-3-ft-w-larosa-composite-fencing-w006428291.html?piid=1638395518

So interesting. I wonder if a gabion is considered permanent

https://gabionsupply.com/build-a-gabion-fence/

can we see what you're talking about?

People are throwing out all sorts of ideas w/o any idea of whether they would work for your yard.

Show us a picture of what you see and what you don't want to see!

I had an issue with an ugly giant ac unit facing my property. After speaking with the owner, we agreed to construct something on his side of the property and share cost. It turned out perfect and made great neighbors, especially after I invited him over for a bbq and made my mean chili!

Down the rabbit hole

https://www.wayfair.com/outdoor/pdp/sunjoy-soft-backyard-12-ft-w-x-10-ft-d-steel-pergola-with-canopy-lkjp2797.html

Denise, is your mean chilli recipe online anywhere? Inquiring minds want to know!!

@Denise Marchand that's a great story about meeting with the owner of the ugly ac unit and finding a solution. The business next to our neighborhood is a large complex, they won't do anything in that regard, it's really up to us homeowners to find a solution. But those images you shared are quite nice, I looked up some of those laser-cut metal panels with the pretty decorative designs, they look quite nice but are very pricey, I'm seeing prices at 100-200 bucks for even tiny 2x4 pieces, I think now I am going to stick with wood planks/pickets and put them on a standing frame and make pretty DIY wood privacy slat panels that have heavy feet and put them all along the front of this wall and let my bushes grow up onto them, they are climbers and should reach 10-11 feet tall with enough to cling to. Home depot has wood pickets for a few bucks and I think it would be the most cost feasible option, maybe also floyd's idea of using sun shade material. The creative juices are flowing, I think we're getting closer!

"You cannot raise, lower or alter your fencing without permission and permission of adjoining neighbor" and it also says "wood lattice items is acceptable only if living material is growing on it" and of course "Any altering of landscape, modifications, etc, etc, must be sent for approval" which is nuts because I have neighbors and people down the street who do whatever they want and have been for years.

I may have missed it if someone else suggested this:

Why don't you just design the fence you want and submit it for approval? If the HOA denies, there may be rules/laws/regulations in your area regarding whether they are able to actually deny given that they are not enforcing their own rules against others. I don't know, but you will likely get approval, so why all this angst if what you really want is to extend your fence upward?

@Denise Marchand "Let's face it, ... (all the time, to everyone)." Please rethink this.

@Mick Manson There is a great example of the use of PTFE glass fabric as a shading tool at ASU's Skysong on N. Scottsdale Road. The material could also be used to block views. That structure has been there since 2010. Not sure if they have to replace the fabric periodically, but it's beautiful and really stands up to your heat and sun from what I can tell, viewing it over the years. Probably a commercial installation but depending on your budget, you could have a design that was functional and beautiful.

@tracefloyd I went out and got some of the most opaque sun shade material they had, I didn't have time to hang it up yet, but I did do a test with some tacks and it does indeed cover up the view, I left it tacked up for a few hours to see it in full sun and it does cover up the stuff I want to block out, plus it's an easy cheap method like you said. I'm gonna give it a shot and put up a whole roll and go from there. The best part is I can have this shade material up while my bushes and shrubs grow beneath it, so in time they will be as tall as the shade material and maybe in a few years I can take it down and just enjoy the tall hedges! That's the plan anyways, making sweet lemonade from lemons. Great input, I'll let you know how it goes.

Hey there, I've removed several comments here that were not in keeping with the helpful spirit discussions on Houzz are intended for. If you see comments that ruffle your feathers, please flag them to our team rather than respond. That way there is a little less clean up to do. Thank you! (and good luck with your yard!)

I happened to read a related landscaping article recently that might help you.

if you install hardscape (such as a fence or rocking) where the washed-away trees were: 1. The next arroyo flow will erode/undercut it; and 2) if that location is at/near the stream bank - check w/your local jurisdiction whether u will need a streambed alteration agreement.