This is a shrubs question, not a landscaping question, but you should plant them as far from the wall as half the mature width of the shrub--better yet, slightly farther than that so the mature shrub isn't crammed up against the wall. Sounds like you will need to widen your border if you don't want the shrubs encroaching on the lawn.

Also, though I am not familiar with the shrubs the nursery suggested, 160 feet is a very long stretch, and you are likely to get a better border if you mix shrubs in groupings. NOT POLKA DOT them, but a mix of a number of different plantings, including perhaps small trees. That way, if you lose a plant to disease, you won't lose an entire stretch of the same species. It will also be much more interesting.

Are you planting a wall of shrubs in front of an existing wall? Adding a photo might help explain why you'd be doing this. Are you just trying to extend height of the block wall?

Pretty much extend the height of the wall.

Aside from the logistical questions, I'm also looking for any other suggestions of other bushes that would work. We are also planning on small trees, but I'm having a harder time choosing the bushes.

If extending the wall screening, it seems a mistake, to my thinking, to make a solid screen in front of the wall. It's a bit dull & unrewarding visually. It's VERY bulky. I suggest you offer a picture and see if you get suggestions that solve the problem in a more attractive way.

The TOP pic is standing outside the sliding glass door looking to my right. The BOTTOM pic is standing outside the sliding glass door looking to my right. We also have very large side yards, but on one side is a shed (you can see the back edge of it in the bottom pic above the grill...it's the darker beigey color past the corner of the house) and the other side is my raised garden beds. So really I'm just trying to envision the "back" yard part (behind the house). :)

If you have suggestions on what to plant in the planters in the corner of the patio walls, I'll take those too. The planting area is triangular and it about 12"x12" on the shorter sides of the triangle and I'm not sure what the longer side of the triangle measures...maybe 18". I tried putting 2 things in there last year just for color but quickly realized there's only enough space for about 1 decent size plant. :) Tempted to put in those bushes that repel mosquitos but I hear they don't work ALL that well.... LOL

Once again, this is the wrong forum for suggestions on specific plants. The shrubs forum is the one for the shrub border you want. And be sure to post your zone and general location.

I've gotten much more useful info here than the shrub forum...does it really matter if I post here or there? We're in the design stage of our backyard still. I mean really?

Angie I am surprised no one has suggest Oleander to you. Mine is probably planted six feet from the fence. I am a bit obsessive about leaving room in the back in case I need to work on the fence. Plus my dogs liked to patrol the fence line. When I bought it the tag said it would reach six feet tall. On the way home I stopped at a friend's and she told me it would not stop at six. She was right. Mine now is about thirteen feet tall.

As far as leaving the forum, I suggest that only to help the person who posted. You cannot be ordered from the room. There is also a California Forum. I find it very helpful to get real life advice about the way specific plants grow. Your yard looks big. Is that an illusion?

Emmarene, I'll check out Oleander, thanks! Our yard is large, our lot is 1/4 acre, which is BIG for in the city in this area. I'm not sure how much of that is the backyard, but quite a lot. Even just our side yards are large. One has my raised garden beds. The other side has the shed and a drive-thru gate to our driveway. We could park there if needed...probably several cars. The back part of the backyard is still large. It's an awkward angled shape, though. But I plan to put a medium tree in that pointy corner as to fill up some of that space.

Yardvaark, I like the tree-d look a lot. Now if my yard could be that colorful NOW. LOL. It's funny how I find "painted" renderings super attractive, but that's because we've been looking at our backyard dirt farm for how long now? LOL. The concern for trees, though, is that I'd like it to have leaves all year so that the view is screened all year. I also don't want to rake up 6 or 8 trees worth of leaves every fall. Granted, our yard guy could do it...but...

Thanks for the very helpful replies. The site did not notify me of replies like it usually does, so I was delighted to come here and find some really great suggestions! Thanks!

Though I've always had trees, I've never lived anywhere where I rake leaves and dispose of them. It's more likely I would collect leaves other people have raked and bagged and bring them home. Many groundcovers can "eat" leaves. Or a hidden pile of leaves can melt down into useful compost/mulch. \

This winter check out how some deciduous trees/shrubs can be dense and twiggy enough to provide fairly good screening, even without leaves. If the form is good, this ghost-like winter screening can be quite attractive.

Before planting oleanders, I suggest you look at the areas on the map at risk for the spread of the glassy-winged sharpshooter. HERE Sacramento is inside the at-risk shading. It would be a shame to have your plants die from scorch after they begin to reach mature size. You may want to plan for, or at least be aware of, the possibility that the shrubs will need to be replaced in the future if the spread continues.