If you are east of I35, you probably have more options than west of I35.

I have a hedge of loquats along my back fence. Because they are under a telephone line, the city comes along and prunes them, and they do just fine.

Eastern red cedar is about the best bet if you are east of I 35. (It will probably do fine in western areas.) Nurseries in the DFW area sell it, but they don't sell it in San Antonio. (I love eastern red cedar)

The fastest growing holly is yaupon holly.

Pyracantha also makes a good screen.

Our house had a ligustrum hedge along the back fence when we moved in. I let it grow tall. It's drought tolerant, takes alkaline soil and water, is evergreen and grows tall fairly fast while keeping lower leaves on the multiple trunks. We never trim it and it's probably 30 ft tall now.

Three Miami crape myrtles (they are a tall variety) are spaced along in front of it to add some color in the summer time. I also planted an Arroya sweet wood tree and Yellow bird of paradise along there too. It has worked well for us.

This will sort of give you an idea of what it looks like. The small deciduous ornamental trees I added were not blooming when this picture was taken a few weeks ago.

In my area Texas mountain laurel grows fast and is evergreen.

Maybe someone can recommend a clumping non-running tall bamboo that might be good, but I have no experience with bamboo.

It's going to take a few years for whatever you plant to get tall enough to screen your neighbors patio, but it might not be as bad as it seems now. I have chain link fences on each side of me and I enjoy being able to wave and sometimes talk over the fence when the neighbors come outside.

Check out vetiver grass. It makes a great privacy screen, but gets rather large, so it depends on how much room you have in your yard.

I have it growing and love it.

We had a similar issue. We have Red Tip Photenias that are 12 feet and gorgeous. We didn't loose one when they were planted and have not lost one in the 7 years since.

We planted 3 feet apart and I pruned each shrub to grow up rather than out. In 3 years they were 4 feet and fully a fence and in 7 they are 12 and fabulous!

We have them clipped twice a year. We have a corner suburban lot with 2 stories facing us and behind us. We now have total privacy with the exception of one window on the house immediately behind us. I love it because I enjoy my privacy and of course being surrounded by lovely greenery. We have no trees so they get full sun and although we watered the first couple of years we only occassionally water them now.

Several of our neighbers have complimented how nice they look and have started their own 'green' fence.

The backyard featured in the photo is so inviting! Thanks for sharing, I love garden photos like that.

Southern wax myrtle seems to be a fast growing, screen tall, choice.

I think if you use a mixture of evergreen shrubs like some of the ones mentioned above, you will create an attractive privacy screen. Then if you lose a shrub from whatever disease or storm, it wouldn't be such a big deal to replace it since you won't have to get one the same size as the others around it. Plus a mixture of flowering and evergreen plants will attract a variety of birds to your yard.

Good idea Denise. I think in England they call that sort of hedge a tapestry. Nice discriptive term, don't you think?

We have similar issues now and in our previous house. I've planted little gem magnolias and compact cherry laurels. The magnolias were slow growing and never really filled in like I expected. We moved away, so I'm not sure how they look after 5 years. In our current house we planted 5 compact cherry laurels last spring and they look great! They're fast growing and filling in nicely! I like the idea of a tapestry hedge too.

Thanks for all the suggestions. I went to Schumacher's yesterday (only 25 minutes away, I had no idea this little gem was so close!) and they, like Rick, suggested the wax myrtle. Since this is brand new land with nothing but oak trees, persimmons, cedar and mountain laurel I think I want to keep the landscaping all native. I really like the idea of the "hedge tapestry." I might give that a shot. I have about 30' between the house and the fence but I don't want to take up anymore than maybe 12 feet. I need to do some plant research thanks to the above comments!

I have a similar issue in a new build. We hired a landscaper. He staggered several wax myrtles, which grow incredibly fast, in between a hedge of hollies.

I don't think the hollies will get as tall as you may want them to get, but the wax myrtles definitely will. I also noticed lots of my neighbors using these for screens.

Hey Texashottie, I think I remember you from the building forum. I don't suppose you have any pics of your wax myrtle/holly screen?

I so want to get this going but I think I need to wait until the Fall. I'm already spending too much on water. So I'm going to get a bed prepared for now and then plant later.

Depends on which kind of hollies you choose.... I have a row that is at least 15 feet tall -- the large Burfords.