Hi,

We recently moved from a cottage on 1.5 acres lined in mature trees to a home in a neighborhood on maybe 1/3 of an acre. Our "new" home was not taken care of, and the landscaping and yard show it. We are getting ready to gut everything and start fresh.

I have two main problem areas. First, the backyard. The backyard is dead grass and nothing else. The neighbors behind us are higher up and can see into our master bedroom. What shrub/hedge/tree can we plant along the back fence to create a privacy screen that will not only hide our ugly wood fence, but also hide the view from the neighbors? The backyard gets full direct sun. I have to be careful of spread, since we are in a smaller area and I don't want to lose too much of my yard.

The second area is the side of our home. A different neighbor looks directly into our master bath from their living room. I don't like to have shades drawn on windows but there's no way I'm taking a leisurely soak in my garden tub with the neighbors right there. I need a hedge that will grow tall enough to create privacy between my house and theirs and block their view. I would love this hedge to go all the way down to the street if possible for full privacy. This side of my house has quite a bit of shade due to the closeness of our two story homes and a large magnolia tree growing in between the homes. What are my options for a fast-growing shrub with the height I need?

I am in the Nashville, TN area - I think that is zone 7. We are only interested in evergreen plants and would love something that flowers on the side of my house, if possible. We have kids and a dog, if that makes a difference.

Thanks for your advice.