I'd like to plant a spruce where the soccer ball is sitting. Is there another area where the kids could play?

I'd do a shrub border of something like lilacs, bottlebrush buckeye, calycanthus, forsythia, flowering quince, etc. Unless there are sight line issues, I wouldn't worry about planting any of those more than 5 or 6 feet away from the road. If the plow causes problems, they'll learn and adjust.

The judgement call is going to be how solid a screen you want.

I too would do a shrub border but with entirely different plants than madgallica suggests. I'd use at least one conifer, a couple of small trees, Viburnums, Calycanthus perhaps, Physocarpus, Magnola stellata, etc. And plan to set it far enough from the road that salt/plow is not a problem and make it at least two layers deep front to back. With good choices you'll get spring flowers, and fall berries.

if you want sight line block form the second floor.. you are going to have to go to med to tall trees.. ... from this level.. shrubs are not going to work ..

its a different ball game... if you want to do such from lawn chairs on the front porch ...

with the tree line behind.. shall we presume yo have no usable back yard.. for the soccer field???

lets further define the variables ... and then the plan should pop out ....

ken

I’m not too worried about the site line from the second story. I would like to be able to be in the front yard or on the front porch looking out and not be looking directly into my neighbors yard. I’d also like to feel like we have a bit of privacy from the street and from the neighbor. It doesn’t need to be complete privacy, but somewhat of a screen. We do have a decent sized backyard, but it is an even saw the front yard is where the soccer goals will be for the next six years or so.

Backyard is uneven/ not level , sorry, typo

Some people add berms. This would keep soccer balls in and the snow plow out. Grasses would give you the height you want the fastest. You can get some pretty Big Bluestem cultivars. Add in some Joe Pye Weed and NY Ironweed for more color.

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A berm. That’s an idea I haven’t considered. I think I like it—thank you!!

If you do decide on a berm, make sure you don't mess up the drainage. You don't want the kids playing in a mud pit.

At some point, you should get out there with a tape measure, and see how much space you really have. Then you can decide how much space you want to dedicate to this screen. The good thing about many deciduous shrubs as screens is that they get big fast. However, that also means they eat space quickly.

Good point re drainage. I know, that’s the debate, screening vs losing part of our yard. I wonder about just adding some varieties of tall grasses? Then I could also throw in some flowers for interest. Maybe a deciduous tree over on the side? Hmmmm

I do also have a maple tree over to the side by the driveway out of view of the picture. It was probably 8 feet tall when we bought the house five years ago and has may be only put on another 4 to 6 feet. I’m not sure why it isn’t growing more quickly And that is probably another post in and of itself but that would help my screening problem somewhat if I could get that little tree to grow!

I guess my little maple tree is in the bottom picture, just not the first one. Regardless, I’m not sure what the problem is!

Here are a few ideas: