Well... $4 for a crape, why not?! LOL I checked out the other forum's thread by the way and have some comments. My mother has a 50ft chain-link fence on one side of her backyard and they are tricky to "hide". She has a row of bridal wreath spirea (that grow to 6 - 7ft and will weep over), with some rose of sharons in between. They seem to do the job. On the other side, she has a new neighbor who recently removed the entire length of privet that had been there for over 40 years. There was always some kind of metal fence along that side on our side and some things planted along it (eg., rose of sharons and bamboo), but she is scrambling a bit herself, to add some more privacy things along that side now. I think some of the comments on the other forum are good. It's not easy and in your case, based on you pics, you are almost starting from scratch, ie., you really don't have "old" established plants. You might want to consider highlighting certain of your plants as "specimens" and use others, including some decidous shrubs, as a foundation. I looked up that Magnolia Jane. That's a pretty flower! (Uh oh for me....lol). There will be a time of year (spring) when magnolias are the center of attention and would be a show place... and then they fade away. But decidous magnolias are generally the type of plant that is considered a specimen and should probably be more front and center or even solitary and not in the rear. The same would apply to the crape myrtle (which if it is white, is probably "Natchez"), although in its situation, right next to the house to give it some protection, might be better. It is a mid-late summer bloomer. As a totally different idea, you could always shift the target bed well away from the fence by moving it forward right to the sidewalk. Ie., using your diagram in the other thread, like this: Doing this might draw the eye to this front bed by the sidewalk, leaving the fence in the background by not highlighting it until you meander back there, and offering some privacy for that rear area, from the front yard's perspective. This would also give you some time to deal with the fenced-in area on its own merits. Consider down the road that you may one day remove that fence but might be stuck with established shrubs/trees that are still defining where the fence once was. This might make it all the more difficult to reconfigure and open up that part of the yard if you ever decided to do that, unless you opted to go with "garden rooms" with pre-defined areas of plantings with a similar theme. Perennials, including tall ones, are easier to move than a tree or shrub. Back by the fence, you might consider something like an Annabelle hydrangea (H. arborscens 'Annabelle'), which when mature, can become quite thick and large and would be filled with blooms. You could plant a grouping of 3 in a corner area by the fence to eventually create a mass. I also had an idea where you could put some kind of arch/arbor right at your path to the beds. You could then plant vines like clematis to run up and over to make a cottagey entrance to your fenced-in area. If you replace the chainlink with post and rail, the arch would be a nice segue. One thing that I don't think was mentioned in the other thread other than peripherally. after having looked at the pics of your house as compared to where I lived, is some descriptions of the typical overall "styles" of landscaping that might look best with the type and era of house. I grew up in an English Tudor-style house built using the local PA fieldstone, where my parents eventually established alot of foundation broadleaf evergreens in the front and along the side (azaleas, rhodies, boxwood, pieris, pyracantha, etc). There was already a large eastern red cedar tree planted between our house and a neighbor and that neighbor also had azaleas, rhodies, and an old mountain laurel. The entire block has nearly every house fronted with privet or some "wall" of shrub (eg., laurels, aucubas, hollies, etc) right up to the sidewalk. Ie., it was what one would consider very staid and conservative planting within what is a very old established neighborhood with alot of very mature street trees (sycamores). However fortunately, the style wasn't overly formal, as the residents allowed the natural habits of these shrubs to dominate and didn't lollypop them, etc. And the question for you is whether you have asked yourself what "look" you eventually want to achieve - Ie., "staid and formal" (which can also include Japanese style, since you show ponds there) or more "free-flowing and open traditional" or "cottage style/prairie"? Ie., you indicated in the other thread that the aborvitae that you removed (or will remove) were like "sentinels" and in that setting, they are. In the more "formal" setting, they are often planted in a solid row as a privacy screen. Otherwise, they are solitary on either side of a house or it's doorway. In any case, it's going to be a labor of love and time to get things to maturity the way you envision but I think you need to decide whether you want "formal" or "informal" as a first step. And once you do that, there are various things you can do within each style using the plants that you mention. This exercise is pretty cathartic to me in any case as I look at my own family's situations.

On the northside, depending on the entrance point, I'd but a tall specimen near the chimney and another one off the corner of the house near the garage. Perhaps another taller specimen jetting out half way through (inline with that window on the second story). All others, including the southside, should be a mix of 1'-5' shrubs evergreen and deciduous. Pick a color theme and repeat. My typical theme masses green and variegated foliage and then specimens of blue, purple and gold get mixed in. Perhaps those are the specimens you use. Picea pungens 'Donna's Rainbow' would look nice off the corner of the garage. Simply a Coppertina Ninebark (if good moisture) would look nice as well. Perhaps those are too small there and could be intermixed elsewhere (specimen or groupwise). The Jane Magnolia (or Royal Star) are other good options since you have 14'. Thinking 6' off the house. Gives it another 6'+ to grow on the other side then you have 2' of grass to mow to the lot line. Have fun, just my 2 cents.

My Jane is also purple, and looks very lovely in the early spring. Pink must be on a mislabled plant. I have never had any reblooming in summer. I do notice that not all the buds produced, have flowers. They seem to be dried out inside, but the furry coating can stay on the stem for a while into summer. I bought the Jane because it is part of the Stella magnolia family. With it being so cold here, I would not chance a saucer Magnolia in my unprotected country yard. Stellas are the hardiest magnolias, and do OK most years. Other magnolias do alright in the city gardens, wind protected. There are several Saucer magnolias that are beautiful each spring in town.

I have her in Arlington. Right now she is covered in buds and get a couple of hours of west sun. Biggest problems are fungus and drought. I water deeply once a week. Mine has been in ground for 7 years. She does not bloom very well. This year I was going to transplant it. Dumb! The roots were a fabulous web and I am still in awe! I poured well composted cow manure around the roots and resettled them. Then I asked lots of questions from a manager at Calloways. He said it likely needs phosphate. I fertilized with Triple Phosphate and the tree is loaded with little buds. I have lost them in the past to what I believe was fungus or drought. Good luck the flowers are lovely. I went for Jane because I read she blooms a couple of weeks after other saucer magnolias. This is true and that saves her from those ice storms that seem to arrive here after trees are blooming in mid Feb. here.