Architecturally speaking, how would the "mechanics" of the so called privacy work? Are you trying to completely cover a window? And what is your goal for ultimate height of the plant? Have you googled images of the proposed plants in order to get an idea of their size? Based on the picture you've shown, I wouldn't place any tree between the house and walk.

Thanks Yardvaark for the response. since our house is right on the street, if we do not have any shrub/tree in that area one will be able to see right thru the window specially during the night when the lights are on ( that dining room window provides a straight line of vision all the way to the kitchen/breakfast area) . having said that i certainly don't want to cover the whole window, but a plant that would just be tall and wide enough to break that line of sight.

yes i did google the trees and both reach a ht of between 15 ft - 25 ft at maturity which is why i am really hesitant to use them although i guess they can be pruned to maintain a certain ht. there will be enough trees in the area as 2 trees will be planted by the city near the sidewalk.

so i was leaning towards a serviceberry- it has beautiful flowers, changes color in fall, low maintainence...

but i am not knowledgeable enough to make the right decision. so can you please suggest what plant would be a good choice. i plan to add some perennials and other flowering plants, hostas etc down the line, nothing too tall though as i feel tall trees/plants ( more than 4-5 ft ) too close to the house take away from the beauty of the house. please let me know your thoughts.

How much WIDTH is there in that space between the sidewalk and the house? And how much space between the house and the street that you want to screen the views from?

I'd be much more inclined to put a small tree in the yard between the sidewalk and the street, instead of in what appears to be a tiny space between the sidewalk and the house.

Look at this way - either way would screen the view IN from the street, but from inside the house, you'd be able to see OUT a lot better if the tree were in the yard instead of right up against your window.

You're asking the impossible for a small tree/shrub to come out at the right size. People plant such things with good intentions but then they get out of control. Why are you not controlling the privacy with interior shades and therefore require more reasonable demands out of the landscaping?

I agree that you have to deal with the privacy issue from the inside primarily. Anything deciduous planted in that spot would not block the view in at night in winter and anything evergreen would block the view out - and likely be a general maintenance mess! If you want a tree, definitely put it between the sidewalk and the street, but rely on an interior solution for privacy.

"... nothing too tall though as i feel tall trees/plants (more than 4-5 ft) too close to the house take away from the beauty of the house. So the intention is to screen only the LOWER portion of the window? ... clearly a job for a shrub, and not that large of one at that. A serviceberry would be way too large, as would all the other possibilities mentioned. Generally speaking, shrubs that block windows seem unappealing. Sometimes there's a need to break the rules, but this doesn't seem like one of those times.

Have you consider a Tiffany designed stained glass window?

You would have the best of both worlds, privacy and beauty.

Thanks all for your responses. Sorry for not replying earlier.I agree with you Yardvaark on all ur comments. Plantings dont always turn out the way we want to and get out of control. I guess my thoughts on trying to get privacy out of a tree/shrub was a misguided one.So we have decided to do away with any tree or serviceberry for that area. what we would like to do instead is to have plants/shrubs that would fill up that space to some extent.
would you please make any suggestions.
we will have more boxwoods put in to make a clean hedge line that follows the pathway to the front door.

Thanks Woodyoak. I like your thoughts that the tree/shrub will be bare in winter and while green it wud block view from inside. did not think about this.

Thanks Toolbelt. thats a grt suggestion, but the windows are already installed and getting a tiffany glass will add to the cost. but i can certainly think about using a tiffany style "window cling" which give sthe same effect.

Thanks littlebug5. the dist. is approx. 30'. i like ur idea of having a tree in between the sidewalk and the house. the city will plant 2 trees of our choice near the side walk so we will have quite a few trees in the vicinity. so will probably skip it for now. we will have more boxwoods added as of now and will add more plants slowly as we settle down.

"... would you please make any suggestions."

The picture you've provided is not conducive to making good suggestions. Add one that is squared up to the face of the house, where you are roughly opposite its center point. (This would be opposite the corner of the house that the red arrow is pointing at.) Attempt to take it in good lighting so that we can see into the shadows. include showing some space at the left end of the house so we can see how the planting integrates into the surroundings. It might take more than one picture to show these things.

Yardvaark these are all i have for now. will try to get more today. but i have to tell the landscaper in a short while from now. so if you can please tell me i would really appreciate it.

here is another one...

Based on the pictures you've provided, here's an approximation of how I think you could place trees in the yard. Two small trees must be at a distance from the face of the house, so they need to be across the walk and into the lawn area, with groundcover islands below. This way, serviceberry would work. Or dwarf burning bush. (Yes, it will take some time to get to size, but won't be a problem over the long haul.) Or it could be common lilac or anything about that size.

If you want more detailed help, better pictures are necessary. You would take them from somewhere in the street while standing opposite the center of the house face. A series of 3 overlapping shots, pivoting from left to right would be needed. All 3 shots would need to be taken from same location. And, of course, you would need to move any car blocking the view.

I have a few recommendations. It depends on the look you are going for but these plants will do well in that section of your front yard.

First up is Witch Hazel. This plant will do very well as it is a fall/winter plant. It looks beautiful all year round and many plant lovers in Chicago have these in their yards. Zone is 3 to 8.

Next is the Butterfly Bush. This plant is a stunning flowered bulb producing bush. The great thing about this plant is that even if the winters kill it to the ground, it will grow back year after year. No need to keep replanting.

Last is the Shrub Rose bush. This one is great for the fall season. There are 7 different rose flowers you can get, all of which are beautiful. They will bloom from spring to frosting points. They are also very low maintenance and hearty winter survivors.