I have three suggestions. One is to consider Emerald Arborvitaes for your "trees" along the fence. They are tall cone shaped shrubs that top out at l0 to 12 feet, instead of 20' like Italian cypresses, which will look out of proportion to your house. They won't get much over three feet wide if you don't do alot of pruning on them. (and there's no reason to). They are soft, not stickery, and their shedding is extremely small, mostly in the wintertime. As a bonus, they will grow in full sun AND in almost complete shade. I know. I have them everywhere in my landscape, which is almost exactly on a straight line with you, East to West. Second, if you plant a Japanese Maple, be sure it is going to receive afternoon shade. Your heat and sun will be entirely too intense otherwise. The easiest and fastest growing one, not to mention the least expensive, is the straight species Purpurea, although Bloodgood and Crimson Queen do well in our heat too. Finally, I recommend that you INSIST that the landscapers space your plants according to their tags. In other words, if the tag says the plant will grow four feet wide, make them plant them four feet apart, from center of plant to center of plant. Measure with a tape measure! You are right. They nearly all cram entirely too many plants into the space. I think it's for instant gratification for the homeowner and for extra $$ in their pockets. But it's a waste of money on the front end and a nightmare for maintenance on the back end (which they are only too eager to charge you for too.) If you buy fewer plants, you can afford bigger ones, and you can afford for the installers to do a good job of soil prep. If you use mainline shrubbery and the soil is well amended and prepared, your garden will be mature and perfectly spaced in 3 to 5 years. Perfectly spaced translates into minimal maintenance, by the way. It will be worth the wait.

No, not in a 4' x 20' bed. Alberta Conifers will get too fat in my opinion. You need a more conical and narrow tree or shrub. Talk to your local Garden Center about what grows best in your area and tell them the story. They should be able to give you a handful of options. Thanks!

What about Kinsey Family Farm in Gainesville, is that too far? Depending on what you want, you can order bundles of tree seedlings from the Georgia Forestry Commission and have them sent to the Bartow office. I have always found them to be good sized, healthy young trees. For a really good deal (but a longer trip - take a friend!), consider Grower's Outlet in Loganville. Here is a link that might be useful: Grower's Outlet

If you have any paving, Carrotwood and Podocarpus are both pavement lifters/busters. Podocarpus is one of my favorite trees, but they have massive root systems. Italian Cypress, but planted strategically to screen your neighbor's windows, rather than as a "Fort Cupressus" hedge. No bees on those. The Sunset Western Garden Book has a "What to Plant Near Swimming Pools" section. Every library in California usually has a copy if you don't want to buy one. The fruitless olive still blooms, it just does not produce fruit. The flowers may still attract bees.