IMO fake trees are really more meant for interior use and I have never seen ones outside that look real since they need to be plastic. What is wrong with a fence taller than what you have and enjoy the privacy all the time To me the road is far enough away thet you could be nude and the traffic would not see you. I think often privacy is over rated but really put up nice looking fence a good thing for resale and for looks . Or 3 tilt umbrellas for the season you use the patio.

Good quality artificial outdoor trees that can withstand year round in the Midwest in that size would probably cost you 200-600 bucks. Even nicer ones are meant to be sheltered under porch roofs or put away in the winter and will rough up under summer sun soon enough.

It would be wiser of you to buy something fast growing that is not 200-600 a pop. Or perhaps set up planters with bamboo in them. Trellises with climbing plants. A mix of smaller trees, shrubs, and taller plantings of grasses and flowers.

What's your budget, and do you have HOA guidelines to work within?

I think you meant something like this:

Autograph Foliage is the only supplier I know that sells truly outdoor trees.

https://autographfoliages.com/outdoor-shrubbery/trees-topiaries/

As an alternative, If you contact someone in your area that operates a motorized Tree Spade, they are often looking to relocate trees that are much larger in scale so you have can an 'instant mature backyard'.

https://www.treespecialist.com/tree-transplanting/

https://porch.com/chicago-il/tree-relocation/cs

https://treesourcetech.com/

Rather that hid the back ground, plan your plantings to divert your eye from the background. Currently the only definition you back yard has is the black fence. By planting some fast growing trees, and shrubs near the fence. Nearer to the patio area, create some flower beds.

Use taller plants like rose of Sharon, laura pedlum, Lilac, etc near the fence. with some trees, In the flower beds plant some perennial flowers. Maybe a couple of trees near the fence.

As I said you need to define your yard, so you eye falls on the items in the yard, and not the distance landscape, For the $1000 you plan to spend, you will get more bang for your buck that on artificial trees.

Example

imo ... you may never sell the house.. if you install plastic trees and plants out there.. to have spent what went into that stonework patio.. and then top it off with plastic disturbs my sense and sensibilities... sorry to go all jane austen .. boy thats obscure.. lol...

in fact.. if it were the last house on earth.. and i just had to have it.. my offer would dictate you remove it all before we sealed the deal ...

no use recommending plants.. since the midwest is to vague to know where you are.. big city name please ...

for the 4th time in 2 days.. install a minor pergola structure.. and install outdoor drapes... imo.. that is your only option for immediate result

https://duckduckgo.com/?t=ffab&q=patio+drapes&iax=images&ia=images

tree time is counted in decades.. and shrub time is not much shorter ... but at least with the investment in the structure and drapes.. i bet you will get a full return on your invest ... if not a profit ..

and.. plant the trees out there anyway ... as the budget permits... so by the time the pergola starts rotting away.. the trees will be set to take over ...

and for a shiny penny.. i will tell you how i really feel.. lol ... if i can put aside my pride and prejudice .... does colin firth do patio design ?????

ken

Some great questions and comments.
Our HOA does not allow anything other than this type of fencing. The max we are allowed is 5ft tall fencing that is as bare as this. Perks of living in Carmel, Indiana!! Our backyard is about .29 acres, of which already the other side is covered with giant thuja trees that blocks the pergola. We’ve planted a lot of shrubs and trees for our front landscaping and still going :)
I was thinking of putting artificial trees in rectangular planters for seasonal privacy just on the corner where the road is; also we do have a lot of off leash dogs that eventually visit our property and fence. This does cause a lot of privacy and security issues with our dogs being outside and/or with us just hanging out. Our HOA has allowed us to plant on the neighborhood boundary line which would cost us $400-$500 for each black hill spruce / Norway spruce that is significant enough in size to block out a nasty tennis court on the left side and in the center and side! There’s a lot traffic from the parking lot on the weekends from the clubhouse, which later a lot of teenagers that hang out after hours ~10PM, and it does get loud in spring to fall months. July months, we get fireworks show (although nice) some land into and blow right above our house and property.
We currently have a fringe tree to block out the view of a stop sign and entrance of the clubhouse.
I would never put plastic trees out permanently to answer someone - that would be cheap and sadly pull away from the beauty of our backyard and patio! Just looking for a 2-3 year solution that can give us best privacy. We have a lot of restrictions in our city so can’t use wood panels for ‘privacy’. It has to be all aluminum or metal, and has to be approved by HOA prior to building/placement.

Attached are what it looks like in the summer with full foliage. Not pictures are our fire chiefs arborvitaes, red dragon, and fringe tree. The outer view of the patio is from our property line and what people see !

Oh and drapery is a bad idea. We did try to use it, we get a good breeze and most unusual high winds lately in our area. Under the pergola it’s a completely different weather lol, much more windy and cooler !! So no drapery

I think I might do container planting of spruces until they are tall enough to plant in ground. This way it might be cost saving and effective as we need it to be!!

I’d add two modern lattice partitions. One at eating area and just long enough for privacy; you don’t need one at fire pit, as most of the time it will be dark and you also may not want to feel closed in/see the expanse. For the pergola, duplicate the look and go right across. Suggest adding tall grasses in front to soften and ask at nursery for their recommendations. You’ll have privacy where needed and I think will be a selling point down the road.

Beautiful Maureen!! Thank you for giving helpful idea and solution!

" Beautiful Maureen!! Thank you for giving helpful idea and solution! "

Yet the very same or similar solution was offered by several previous posters and was dismissed with this comment: " We have a lot of restrictions in our city so can’t use wood panels for ‘privacy’. It has to be all aluminum or metal, and has to be approved by HOA prior to building/placement. "

So what is it........are temporary screening panels allowed or not?

I had assumed the restrictions were for the lot’s perimeter. If needing approval, maybe five feet high could help.

@gardengal48 pictures help visualize ideas! I never dismissed any same or similar solution and advise. In fact, I’ve liked the ones I agree and think are great suggestions. Not sure if you’re having a good day or if something else is bothering you about my comments?

Our HOA has allowed us to plant on the neighborhood boundary line which would cost us $400-$500 for each black hill spruce / Norway spruce that is significant enough in size...

What are you considering as signifigant enough size? Both of those kinds of spruce are supposed to grow up to a foot plus per year. Are you required by the HOA to use a particular contractor(s), or are you able to choose more freely?

Is the inside of the fence on the neighborhood boundary line?

You can only have shrubs and trees which the HOA approves and plants for you?

If these are true, they are going to allow artificial trees and plants in your yard?

Outdoor fake plants look so fake. New ones look suspiciously too green and perfect compared to their surroundings, and older ones look weathered in a way that real plants don't. I feel like I can spot them from a mile away. And when it's time to get rid of them, where do they go? The landfill.

It would look a million times better to build a nice looking fence and grow a few real plants around the base.

I’m confused as to whether the HOA requires you to choose large expensive grown trees to plant, or if it’s your thought that you yourself would want only full- grown trees because of time issues. Still, growing smaller ones in containers first doesn’t seem so great because I THINK any nursery specimens would grow faster if planted in the ground ( properly watered of course). Plus it’s quite easy for trees in containers to dry out rapidly especially in a hot weather spell , and more susceptible than trees in the ground.

Create a few planting beds in the grass close to but not directly up against your patio. Make them oval or bean shaped. Plant very tall grasses. They will give you the feeling of privacy and the organic shapes of the beds will look like you are planting nice landscaping instead of erecting a "keep out" wall. Some grass varieties last through the winter. You don't get much more midwestern than prarie grasses right?

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