If your condo permits you to plant shrubs behind your patio, your choices are huge. Go to a local nursery--a good one, not a big box store, and see what they have and what you like. Make sure you understand the mature size of the shrubs and plant them accordingly.

Thanks Laceyvail. We are pretty free to do what we want, we care for our own yards, we only have to get approved for trees. I have already made the trip to the nursery and there are a lot of choices. Would like to do something visually appealing. Years ago I had a house on a corner, also with a brick patio. Had a landscaper put in bushes for privacy sake, I recall we had a dogwood bush and some others. The last time I passed by that house - the patio was totally screened but it looked wild - not pretty at all. I have considered "boxwoods" or Lemon Spirea (which I do like) and Lavender, my house is decorated with a french county look and my daughter thinks the lavender would be great - maybe with boxwoods on the corners - not sure if I should mix it up or go with one or two types of plants/shrubs.

You could consider something like mock orange shrub, which is absolutely gorgeous white flowers and grows very tall and very wide. Another nice look is holly, with a beautiful shiny leaf (you can also get variegated with light and dark shiny leaves), and will grow very tall and wide. I see you are zone 5, which is where I am (Michigan. ) That makes holly a nice choice since it stays green throughout the winter so it doesn't get ugly. Even though you won't be using your patio in winter, you still can see outside.

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Sherry

Here is a link that might be useful: mock orange

Keep in mind that a screen for the patio does not need to be right AT the patio. A nice mixed shrub border planted closer to the perimeter of your property would do the job, and give your plants more room to grow.

KarinL

Thanks you karni, that is an interesting idea.

Just curiousÂ
How much space do you have to work with?
What will the sun exposure be?

Another thread here was just talking about the smaller forms of Japanese maples. I do not have a JM but have read about forms that mature at 8 ft, 6 ft, even 2 ft. I've toyed with the idea myself of incorporating one of the shorter weeping forms in a relatively small bed.

For your situationÂImagine a clump of evergreen somethingerothers nearer the lane at the back of your property, then the Jap maple offset and in front of that clump nearer your patio. Back toward the lane again and keeping good spacing do another evergreen, but perhaps something different from the first grouping. I don't have one of the Northern Lights Rhodies yet, and can't remember without looking whether they are evergreen. I know some put on fragrance along with their spring bloom, so one is on my future "wants" list. Spacing again and then back to whatever evergreen you started with. Maybe on the patio side of things you could blend in a few bulbs and perennial favorites along with the JM. Fairly simple, but you'd have a 4 season show with blooms and foliage.

There have been discussions here about what creates a sense of enclosure. You might even do a search of this forum for "enclosure" or "privacy". One of the things that I found to be helpful, is that a screen doesn't have to be thick, solid, or tall to create a sense of "my space".

Also, some folks point out that thick screening works both ways. Hides the lane, traffic, etc. but may also screen the intruder lurking in the bushes you were so kind to provide.

Hope my ramble helps you think.

Wellspring

Thanks so much wellspring. I do want to come up with something that will that creates a "sense of enclosure" without a privacy screen for the very reason you indicated. The view is actually quite nice. Just across the sparsley traveled road is a farm. The house and grounds are actually quite scenic. Sometimes friends walk the walking/bike path and stop for a chat if I am outside. We are in a small town just outside a major metropolitan area and I am enjoying this small town feel.