I think you should have an arbor swing if you want one. There are 1001 ways you could design your back yard that would look great. The possibilities are literally endless. A backyard should be a haven from the stresses of everyday life and if a swing relaxes you, you should include one. I would definitely angle the swing between the end of the privacy fence and maple rather than back it up to the fence. This adds to the idea of creating a "room" that incorporates the porch. I also think the shade from the tree will be peaceful in the summer. I don't think you have the room you need for an arbor swing in front of the fence. I would leave the magnolia for now. Work on other things and move it later if needed. Now for the fence. Although a row of hedges sometimes works, I think a backyard should be more varied, lush and carefree. There are so many great plants to choose from and add interest, why limit yourself to just one? I personally would start by adding a small flowering tree or a very large shrub about 1/2 to 2/3 of the way down the fence. It's not just the fence that you want to block, but also the house. A pretty tree would draw your eye away from the house. Dogwood, Plum or Sweetbay magnolia come to mind. I would make the beds 4-5 ft. except I would curve it out even more where the tree is. I would continue the bed all the way around past the swing and a little past the maple. Along the fence I would choose something along the lines of azaleas, Korean boxwood or Juddi viburnum. Use variety, but in any one place plant several of the same shrub and stagger them. You do not need shrubs that are 6 ft. tall to hide the fence. If you landscape it right you won't even notice the fence because the landscaped bed will be so alluring. In front of the shrubs I would use a vareity of perennials. Choose 3-5 varieties that you like and plant them in groupings of the same type. You don't want a hodge podge of too many different things because then you loose the impact of each kind. Definitely plant hostas around the maple. Use ones of different sizes and colors. In summary: Plant a tree in front of the fence to be a focal point. Use punctuated variety with your plants. Create an entire sanctuary in your back yard, not just a view blocker. Use curves everywhere...bed outlines and plant placement. Almost forgot the roses. I would wrap another bed directly around the porch if there's room and enough light.

I am getting mixed feedback from several nurseries ive visited. Some say that the roots of Podocarpus Gracilior will not create a problem for the pool & retaining wall IF the hedge is trimmed every other year or so to keep it under control. Some say that EVENTUALLY the roots may create a problem for the adjoining pool & retaining wall since it IS a tree. Anybody out there has had an experience w Podocarpus Gracilior as a HEDGE? I am also considering a Photenia hedge. Any feedback on the cleanliness, bees, roots? Need a tall (at least 10 ft) privacy hedge to plant in a 5 ft wide planter located between pool & retaining wall...can't wait for it to grow tall since the retaining wall is only 4ft tall & is facing the street providing full visibility of our backyard :( TIA for taking the time to share ur experience.

I have a very tall (at least 12 feet) Podocarpus gracillior hedge on 3 sides of my yard which serves as a privacy screen from 2-story neighbors on all sides. We have a pool, and although it doesn't break up concrete and is an effective screen, it is a MAJOR maintenance chore and I wouldn't recommend it, unless you like getting up on a ladder and trimming constantly. I would love to rip it out. I also have an Australian willow (Geijera parviflora), which is an evergreen, very pretty, slighty weeping, not a lot of litter, well-behaved-roots tree. This might be a good solution for what looks like a narrow spot where the neighbor's balcony is and where your concrete starts. I've seen them grow with either a roundish canopy or taller and narrower canopy. When choosing a tree, if you want a narrower silhouette, pick a young tree that's narrower. It casts light shade and isn't a dense tree like some others, but it will certainly soften the intrusion from the neighbors and provide some relief from the kiddies. Another favorite of mine which many people may eschew, is Nichol's eucaplyptus (or Eucalyptus nicholii). I have three of them and I love them. They are tall, as tall as my 2-story house, and willowy. They grow in very narrow spots and don't break up concrete. They don't get as tall as the eucalpytus you seen along the freeways (E. citriodora). The E. citriodora (or lemon gum) is also susceptible to the psyllid which is killing many of them. (I had a lemon gum which got the pysllid and a nicholii 10 feet away from it which didn't. I had the citriodora removed and the nicholii is still just fine.) Some people however, complain that because of the toxins in the eucalyptus leaves, they can't grow anything below them. I don't have that problem, but you might want to keep that in mind. They are also very difficult to find, but there are nurseries that can order them if you really want one. I recently had a large melaleuca tree removed because it was too close to the pool and was about to bust through. We are now naked to the world (or so it seems) in that spot. Rather than plant more of the hedge-from-hell, I plan to to plant a naturalistic collection of evergreen trees and plants that will act as a hedge, but not require the constant upkeep of a hedge. I'm in Huntington Beach, BTW. Good luck!

The sail shade is tricky - but they are effective! You may want to look around and see if you can find a size that would fit - or if you can extend the connection line on a side or two to make it longer. They look great overlapping or layered too. I considered hopseed bushes as well - they look really nice, grow quickly and don't litter much at all. The only thing is they can get wide, so you'd need to stay on top of them in terms of trimming for your narrow space. I ended up deciding on the bamboo because I didn't want a bush look and we have a fairly long space. And the price for the bamboo you were quoted is a good one! We paid $150 each and I think they were 15 gallons and were about 5' tall. Also find out about delivery and planting. You may be better off with large planters or troughs and put whatever you like that will grow tall and reasonably dense in there - you'd get more height immediately and it would look good too.