Thank you, I'm trying to upload pictures to define the question a bit better...I'm sorry to ask, I feel silly, do you perhaps have tips on how to upload photos from an iPhone? The maples are red leaved and very vase shaped, they put on a disappointing autumn display... I'm assuming they are about 10 to 15 years old and perhaps 15 feet high. It's interesting about zones here, I've lost a hardy agapanthus (which claimed to be zone 6) and yet have two abused hardy gardenias in the nursery pots from last year that have sailed through the winter and look gorgeous and glossy (zone 7). Oh well!

Mom, I may be misconstruing your site and situation, so bear with me, but one preeminently qualified type of evergreen for "low" screening is the globe arborvitae, planted sufficiently close to one another so as to form a continuous, never-needs-pruning, low mound of green. Since I don't know your requirement for height, I won't list a specific cultivar, except to say there are full-sizers like 'Woodward', which will ultimately give you as much as ten feet, and little mini jobs, names too numerous to mention. But the key-and again, this is if I'm getting the picture (haha) properly, is that one plants them close enough so that they do not become individual hamburger buns, but instead, a most harmonious, soft-looking but solid wall of green.

I've mentioned this idea in various contexts over the years here, without-if memory serves-getting buy-in from one peep ever, so it seems this is my fantasy alone so far as this place is concerned. But I can assure you I've installed just such a screen, and to say it can serve the purpose well would be understatement.

Vase shaped sounds like red-leaved Japanese maple. Otherwise red-leaved Norway maples are common also. At this time of the year you can tell by the twigs, if you remember the leaves or any are lingering on the ground in an intact condition you can tell by those as well.

At any rate since maples in general require moist soil of fairly significant fertility to do well it sounds like it has been indicated the planting site has no extreme condition to consider, without it being necessary to determine which species of maple is present.

Zone designations for nursery stock are often optimistic. Any agapanthus surviving USDA 6* I would expect to be based on results with a well mulched specimen - or a misunderstanding of what the zones refer to, which is common. Another factor is that cool summers here can result in hot or mild climate plants not being fully matured in fall, failing to have reached their full level of hardiness when temperatures drop during Arctic fronts. This becomes particularly evident during those years when the a big blast arrives in November, as in 1985 and 1990.

*Note that Canada has its own hardiness zone system

Sure sure, the picture shows up immediately after I type in my initial response! Life just ain't fair. So, where are we talking?

Oh, and now, upon re-reading your OP, I see you wanting "mixed".

That would seem to disqualify my rather lengthy idea. It would fit the scene and architecture though. Nice place.

Now I see the pictures. Since you have weeping cypresses and weeping beech there already I would continue with weeping or at least arching growth habits, and avoid any that poke up much as that will produce a visual tension, the pendent plants and the pointed ones appearing to be going in opposite directions.

Other than that if the drain field is right there you should avoid trees of much eventual size as these will root over to where it is. Unless you are wishing to continue with the appearance of an alpine or rock garden a good general policy (for informal planting such as this) is using choices that mature at about 1 1/2 times as high as a bed is wide at the point where the subject is being planted. Otherwise things may appear too small or too tall.

Regarding this last point the Nootka cypress do pose the problem of becoming full sized trees over 60 ft. high. I used to have a 'Pendula' here that I planted too close to the road, it grew as much as 2 ft. per year before it was cut down. The stump is maybe as much as 18 in. in one direction and cannot be ground out due to the proximity of pavement and utilities.

And yours may get into the drain field if you keep them in that spot.

Thank you kindly! The globe arborvitae is a great idea, I surely could tuck a few into the "hedge". I'm a little confused about choosing the right specimens as far as eventual heights are concerned. Of course I understand no plant ever stops growing. However, if my ideal hedge height is somewhere between 5-15 feet (a bit of a spread but mixed and informal is me all the way) do I choose a dwarf specimen and wait basically forever for it to do its desired job. Or do I choose something to fill the space quicker, which may eventually out grow its welcome, particularly so close to the road.

Yes, Japanese maple. The lawn looks like it badly needs to be fertilized. As the maple is well established you can now bring the grass right up to it to produce a more pleasant effect than with the tree coming out of a socket in the lawn. Just don't hit the trunk of the tree when mowing or trimming.

Need something blue around that pine to tone it down.

Agreed the pine needs something to contrast. typically the blue spruces don't look so hot around here because of a mite, so I have heard. Do you have any suggestions for a blue-ish conifer to add to the mix?

And yes our lawn is terrible... No excuses there...

I would shop some outlets and see what appeals. Later in the season there will be a bigger selection. Just keep in mind that blue spruces, blue junipers and true firs tend to become shabby here - I would focus on the multiple other blue conifers a good independent garden center will have.

Maybe a blue phase Chamaecyparis lawsoniana, although there we're talking an ultimately large plant. I was off on the wrong tangent with my globe arb idea, missionmom, in that I'd not yet seen the pics, nor read carefully to note the word "mixed". That whole shebang was about a single-species, heavy-duty screening event, which I now think is not exactly your goal. Of course do what you wish, but that idea (of mine) doesn't I think mesh with the rest of this.

You always risk root rot with that species.

Haha thank you wisconsitom for clarifying on the globe arb idea. I do like the idea of a nice soft symmetrical shape rounding out the end of my hedge. I had read once that it's a nice idea to contrast weeping forms with upright forms. embothrium, I didn't realize that the blue firs and junipers also suffer in the PNW climate. Is this also do to mite issues? I thought something like the abies lasiocarpa might look nice up there, but perhaps I should think twice on that one...

The maples are red leaved and very vase shaped, they put on a disappointing autumn display

==>> annual color is extremely variable ... heavily impacted by transplant.. especially large transplants.. not to mention drought ... weather.. in my MI case.. cold .. etc ...

give them time to settle in... to see the big show ... perhaps 3 to 5 years ...

i would have a soil test done.. before i go doing things about fertility ...

ken

btw embo ... that looks like a winter lawn in my MI .... not necessarily underfed ... at this time of year ...

what i look for.. is weeds ... and that lawn is prime ... its been cared for in that regard.. which makes me thinks it has also been properly fed ...

OP ... do keep in mind ... most conifers.. trees... do not need to be fed ... they are never HUNGRY ... but we insure the soil is fertile.. and take action if need me ... which IMHO ... is rare ...

and in fact.. when your plants get going.. and actually put roots out under the lawn ... and if that lawn is fertd.. these things will get more than enough of anything they may need ...

finally ... lawn watering.. is rarely proper watering for new transplants... do not rely on such .... though.. once fully established ... they should be rather free range ... refer to watering at the link ...

ken

https://sites.google.com/site/tnarboretum/Home/planting-a-tree-or-shrub

Thank you ken. I will keep that in mind about conifers and feeding. This past summer has been my first kick at a larger yard (we are one acre), and most of it is grass. Plus we had such a hot and droughty summer... I think the grass just didn't get enough water. We had such restrictions, it was quite unbelievable.

I'm asking about suggestions for a few nice specimens to include in this project. I am heading to the garden centre this morning (with a whack of coupons lol). I've been wrestling with "to dwarf or not to dwarf"... Or rather the eventual size of things in this hedge. Should I get something that will fill the spot sooner, and perhaps outgrow it's spot sooner than something that will take 10 years to look appropriate in relation to the chameacyparis nootkatensis 'pendula'. Which are about 12-15 feet already... And those (?) maples are right up there size wise. Decision making at the nursery is not one of my strong suits...

You will find a much better selection later if you wait.

What about weeping Alaskan Cedar, Blue Atlas Cedar, and (although not a conifer) American Holly (ilex opaca)? Don't know how they do in your area, but the first is an attractive weeping tree like Embothrium suggested and the second is both weeping and blue. Also, there is Pinus strobus 'Pendula'...that might be too "weepy" and too big but is unlikely to suffer from the same diseases as blue spruce.

I always like holly as an evergreen privacy screen. It's dense and takes to being pruned to limit it's size better then most conifers.

Are you sure the hardiness zone you are giving is the the same USDA system we use in the US? If you are using some different Canadian system, maybe some of your sources are giving the USDA zone, creating discrepancies.

One of the most beautiful examples for mixed privacy screen I have ever seen was posted previously on this forum. I am attempting to emulate this in my own yard.Here is the link: http://forums.gardenweb.com/discussions/1894899/deluxe-hedge-pruning-a-touch-too-much