hi

whats the big tree back there ... pic of trunk with bark might get a winter id ... maybe a dead leaf laying around ...

where does the property end..

whats that white flat thing beyond what i think is your line.. and the neighbors fence way back ..

what direction is the pic facing ...

and are you adverse to conifers ... actually.. give us your definition of a shrub ...

most shrubs in z5 are deciduous.. so not much of a sight block in winter.. hence the suggestions of conifers ... of which there are thousands of pix in that forum ... no need to post over there.. most of those peeps slum in the shrub forum.. lol ..

and finally.. whats the budget ... are we talking low budget and small plants for a screen in 5 to 10 years..

or are we talking mega budget for instant gratification ...

small plants might have trouble under that big old water sucking tree.. hence the first question.. you might want to start by thinking about whether that big tree is safe.. and proper... removal would be a decision better made.. before you go planting under it ...

lastly.. power lines above???

lol ... looks like maple bark on the stumps on the patio ...

more facts please ...

ken

ps: another thought.. is whether the lawn in front is sacred .... a plant spaced halfway back.. can block a lot more ugliness rather than one way back there.. in other words.. dont set yourself in a box .. of which your only solution is the linear lot line ...

i would also consider what to do around the patio for privacy there ... fast.. so that in 10 years.. you can open up the patio.. when the back solution is complete ...

OK, lots of questions. Here are answers:
-The big tree is a silver maple. We actually have more of a problem with too much water, as we're the low point on the block and the soil drainage isn't great. Minor standing water after heavy rains at times. It's not what I would have planted, but we both really like having a mature tree back there, so we're not interested in removing it.

-The property ends in the back right before there's a faint line of shrub trunks. I can't remember what they are, but it's like Photinia or something else uninteresting that's planted by the neighbors. The white thing is the mini-skating rink they're setting up (if we ever actually get any winter).

-The yard runs east to west. In this photo you're looking almost exactly east. There are medium sized trees on the south size, so this part of the yard varies from full shade to part shade.

-We like both conifers and broadleaf shrubs. There are a fair number of deciduous shrubs back there--lilac, ninebark, burning bush, weigela, etc--so we're looking for suggestions that would keep their leaves in the winter and mix in with those. We both prefer a more natural look, so we won't be forcing right angles on boxwoods or anything like that.

-We're not really considering cost at the moment, just getting ideas. We'll deal with the budget once we get a better grasp on what we want to do, although we won't just pour money into relatively unimportant parts of the yard.

-Yes, there are power lines on the left (north), so we need to be cautious about what goes there.

-The logs are from another silver maple that the previous owners cut down last year. It was just a bit further to the left from the perspective in this photo.

-We are definitely planning some kind of a pergola on the patio (behind the garage to the right--you can't really see it), but we don't want to block it off from the rest of the yard. I'd like to be able to enjoy the view of the rest of the yard while sitting there. There's also a (currently non-functioning) pond/fountain you can't see that we're planning to fix at some point, too, and we'll eventually be replacing the brick with better pavers, but these are other conversations for a different day.

The point that you make about putting stuff in the middle seems like a great one. That's exactly the sort of ideas we were hoping to generate by posting here, so keep 'em coming!

Thanks!

left side.. mangled conifer??? leaning off 30 degrees or so .... of perhaps behind the conifer ... whats that all about ... any idea what it is???

the silver maple out back.. any sign of rot in those gaping wounds???? especially the one within about 4 foot of the ground ... and that one branch.. that goes right over the top of the blue garage... was cut at one time.. leading to that near perpendicular branch.. that will fail .. some time in the future ... [whether that is in your lifetime is the key.. lol] .... that stump branch.. simply will not be able to hold up the tree that is growing on it ...

have you considered a 6 foot wood fence along that back lot line??? though the cost will be higher in the first instance.. it might give you the instant gratification that plants will in 5 years ... its the cost/benefit ratio between time and money ... the time it will take for the plants to grow.. and dont forget.. the plants wont be free ... and probably cost a lot more than the fence.... if you seek some immediate solution ...

all the forums are kinda dead around the holidays ... i am just trying to get enough facts out of you.. so that when others start chiming in... we have a good base of knowledge to work with ...

ken

ps: lilac back there might do the trick.. check out my pics at the link .. but mine have been there since i moved in 10 years ago ... and they all started as little sticks ...

Here is a link that might be useful: link

I don't garden in your zone, but here are some general ideas to add to ken's comments.

Opaque (and thin) fence - as mentioned - uses less ground space, and functions to contain pets/kids as well as screen unwelcome views.

Tall ornamental grasses normally use less ground space than woody plants, and give screening in one season. I don't recommend any plant that could be invasive in your region, but Miscanthus giganteus is one that should be hardy and can reach 10 feet.

There are a number of woody plants with persistent winter foliage that are not evergreen, and that could be useful for screening. Vernal Witchhazel (Hamamelis vernalis) is one; European Hornbeam (Carpinus betulus) is another.

I could list a slew of very nice viburnums that would be quite happy in this spot...

Be very careful with evergreens. The pH is probably too high for the usual broadleaf suspects. Conifers are going to want more sun. It looks to me like a place where it would be very easy to spend a few hundred on plants that are never going to be satisfactory.

There are deciduous shrubs with enough density to make an OK winter screen. My neighbors have an impenetrable mass of forsythia. It may not bloom particularly well in the shade, but it will screen.

The best thing to do at this time is look around. What plants are growing in somewhat similar conditions and look like what you want? Check out the local public gardens (and don't forget the ones across the border)

The standard answer to the question is going to be yew.

I'd love to hear about viburnums that would be happy in this much shade, in this zone, and be evergreen! I've always liked those.... There are also several lilacs of various persuasion throughout the yard. Are any of those evergreen? Ours certainly aren't.

How do we tell if there's rot in the maple?

The conifer isn't that "mangled"--there's an ivy-covered branch on a tree in the neighbor's yard that you may be thinking is related to ... well, I think it's a spruce, but not 100% positive at the moment.

i wanted to know what the tree that is leaning behind the conifer .. on what looks like your side of the fence...

i like to take care of removing things .. before i start adding things ...

rot in the maple.. would involve a hole .. or soft wood.. just go poke it with a screwdriver... is it woody.. or mush ??? does it look like it is healing itself.. ?? a pic wouldnt hurt ...

the lawn doesnt look great.. but we dont know if that is a function of the maple.. or the prior owners neglect ...

lilac is deciduous.. but one or two can be part of the larger planting ... seriously.. how much time will you be spending out on that patio during a z5 winter ... the block needs 4 season interest.. not just a green wall ... and a flowering shrub would add late spring glory ...

most viburnum are also bare in winter in my z5 MI ...

are you near any arboretums ... winter is a great time to go look at how things look ... wait for it.. in winter.. lol ... upstate new york is a bit vague for this MI'er ...

ken

Get out there in all that gentle lake effect snow, and take some pictures from alternative angles.

I'd think that V. x pragense and V. x rhytidophylloides 'Willowwood' would be nice plants - albeit large - as would V. x burkwoodii and its clones (except 'Mohawk', which is totally deciduous).

Because we're looking east, what's on the left is not as important as what's on the right as far as shade goes. Abies balsamea (Balsam Fir) and Picea abies (Norway Spruce) would be fine back there. Maybe even Chamaecyparis obtusa (Hinoki False Cypress). There are a vast amout of cultivars of various shapes, colors and sizes (especially with the spruce and Chamaecyparis) to choose from.

tj

Pbl ge,
I would go with a wooden or bamboo fence back there.
You only need it at the end of the yard. They are building an ice rink right?
With a nice instant fence you would always have nice privacy year round and then you could plant whatever you wanted in front of the fence for your view.
Nice yard by the way.