what kind of patio ... ken

These are taken. Thanks to everyone who responded. - Bev

I've seen lots of DDB, it is a popular landscape tree in the SE. I've only seen one EB, my tree. EB's main claim to fame is it's supposed hardiness. Mine is in full sun and wide open, no large trees anywhere near it. It is about 20-25 years old from a one gallon. It is wider than high, branched to the ground, and fairly open with somewhat long willowy branches. It took a long time to bloom, and is even now a rather shy bloomer. Blooms are of average size. For me EB has been of average hardiness, it has never lost any wood or suffered any bark split, but it has had browned foliage, though never defoliated. On a scale of 1-5 I rate it 3. DDB is very popular and often seen in private landscapes and especially public ones. It is upright in youth and more spreading as it ages, but taller than wide. Foliage is deep glossy green above and copper/red beneath, especially when young. The tree presents a lush, rich appearance and is a vigorous grower. Floriferousness has been average, but blooms are well formed and slightly smaller than average, a good thing IMHO. Hardiness has been on a par with EB for me, the literature says less hardy than other hardy clones, zone 7. On a scale of 1-5 I rate it 5. All magnolias grown under conditions you describe will tend to be open, with slightly larger than average foliage and less than average bloom, all due to shade. If DDB and EB are the only clones under consideration, my choice would be DDB.

Thanks for your response. We have a row of arborvitae that screened our deck from our neighbors. The deer have destroyed them and after several years it is obvious they need to go. Pictures below. Two years ago we started a new barrier behind the arborvitae with Dragon Lady hollies, cryptomeria, a yellow wood, and a weeping cedar. There is a hill so we do not need as much height, so 6 to 8 feet will work and more height is a bonus. This year we wanted to fill in holes so we were looking at Prague viburnum for the most important screening locations, a dwarf juniper, and several of the sweet thing magnolia. The magnolias will go higher up the hill where density is less critical. The new plants are staggered over a much larger area and not in a line like the arborvitae Unfortunately the cedar got borers and needs to be remove. We a looking at a weeping Serbian as a replacement. The goal is to set the evergreens and then fill in with various deciduous shrubs before cutting down the now ugly arborvitae. The only plant I did not know was the magnolia. I was told sweet thing will hold its leaves in the winter, grow 6 to 8 feet, and it deer resistant. What has your experience been?