Hi: I've not been impressed with the look of viburnums in online pics; might have to rethink them. I have thought about evergreen Rhododendrons and might use some. Our soil pH is fairly close to neutral, as I recall. I don't want to completely hide the fence; that type of fence needs patching up from time to time, and I'm pretty good-sized; trying to crawl through a dense hedge would be a but much. I don't mind seeing some fence here and there; the shrubs through break it up & distract the eye from it. We have a septic tank & leach field the side of which extends out maybe to that last Euonymus bush (and then runs across the yard, not long-ways); I don't want things that get way high, since I figure their rooting systems will be more elaborate. Since the fence is about 5'4" tall, a shrub or small tree needing be very tall, and since many shrubs are about as wide as tall, I'm leery of getting big stuff. Basically, I like planting shrubs 2 or 3 feet from the fence; I don't want to have to plant 5 or 6' out from the fence, and take up a lot of yard space. The shrub row will also look strange if some shrubs are 4 - 6' tall, and a couple are 20' holly trees, for example. Hence my preference for a pyramidal short holly, rather than a round bush (plus I like the pyramidal look better). The Emerald Green Arborvitae get 12 - 14' tall, they say, but are there for a reason; kind of like I'm holding my hand up to block the view of that dog kennel. Richard.

but a green plant wont necessarily attract them ... so last night.. i shut down the computer.. and head off for an adult libation ... and out of the kitchen window.. i see the poppies blooming wildly ... a gift from a friend last year ... the annual type.. 4 inch giant RED blooms.. hundreds of them .. so i step on the back deck .... and i am contemplating my navel.. and the libation.. and the general happiness .. when i come to realize there is this insanely loud hell-a-ba-lou going on ... and its 3 cardinals arguing about who knows what.. in the trees in a 50 foot radius from the poppies ... what i am trying to express to you.. is that attracting the birds is a different project from the greenery you want.. IMHO ... unless you can grow some dwarf wind proof sunflowers.. which will attract them, later in the season ... i will leave you in peace now .. before i irritate you by answering your question, but not in shrub form .... good luck ken ps: is there anything red on your roof top, that is already attracting them???

Yes, it is likely nandina. You are misinformed if someone said they would be green in winter - just the opposite. Winter is the time that the red foliage is strongest. I can't think of any other shrub that reliably turns color and keeps it all winter. Try to get one of the cultivars that does not have berries (the berries contribute to the invasiveness of this plant in the south). Here is a link that might be useful: Nandina info at Clemson (including cultivar names)

Welcome to the East coast! Don't know anything about these berries, but that's good you told your little ones not to eat them. New York state has a few other native shrubs and plants, etc. with poisonous parts. When I was a kid, we were warned about nightshade berries, eating any mushrooms found growing outside anywhere (just to be safe), and of course were taught not to touch poison ivy, poison sumac, and stinging nettles. There are also a lot of garden plants and shrubs people grow on the East coast that could cause various medical problems if ingested, and/or are poisonous or have poisonous parts, such as foxgloves, delphiniums/larkspur, Lily of the Valley, hydrangeas, rhododendrons, azaleas, wisterias, mountain laurels, holly, boxwoods, various junipers, daffodils, hyacinths, clematis, vinca/periwinkle, privet shrubs, yew, and many others. I would just tell your kids not to eat anything growing outdoors in general for now, and teach them what poison ivy, poison sumac, and stinging nettles look like if you haven't already. Then if you want to help them learn about their new environment, you can see if your local library has any nature programs they may offer for kids or families. Sometimes there are nature organizations that hold nature walks for kids (and grownups). The Boy Scouts or Girl Scouts is always good for learning about native plants too.