The area gets a good amount of sun...I would consider it full sun. The fencing line the trees would go beside runs north/south, sun coming from the west. I have't measured the literal # of hours...

if the fence is NS .... isnt the house NS ...with 12 feet in between .....

observe the sun for a few days .... then we can extrapolate ...

not much dies due to low amount of sun ... but it can significantly effect.. how fast things grow ...

conifers.. which are trees.. are not going to magically stop growing at some height.. at which time you will need to prune ... and pruning at 15 feet can be very tricky on a common 8 foot ladder .... how will you maintain that height???

for a fast way to get some privacy .... consider window films ... which let in a lot of light.. but can give you immediate privacy ... while your plants take the years it will take.. to do the job ...

ken

https://www.google.com/search?q=window+films&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjsiNytobPSAhWr54MKHSXFAzwQ_AUICSgC&biw=892&bih=739&dpr=0.9

The house faces north, and this is the side yard, so the fence runs perpendicular to the front of the home. Fence (chain link)is on the west side of the home. It separates us from a next-door neighbor.

I'll observe the sun...I have been so far.

I'm fine with the height continuing the grow above 15 ft. I'm using the 15 ft as a measurement where the tree may start to slow down its growth, not stop growing...I know they will grow perpetually. I just don't want to put something with a listed height of 30 or 60 feet, as that implies it will get there before slowing down. Otherwise, why would anyone care about a height measurement at all? So, pruning the height is not a concern to me. Pruning the width may become a concern if the tree encroaches on my 11-12' area between the fence and the house thereby preventing the ability to walk through the area.

I'm looking for privacy when in the yard too, as the kids may still play in that narrow area...don't need the crazy dude watching them constantly. We can put blinds in our windows for interior privacy.

Thanks!

I prefer Arborvitae to Juniper for screeing, but it's a personal preference. If deer are a problem, then I'd go with Juniper. I took these pics of Arborvitae on a campus in Minnesota. They effectively screen out the electrical fixtures behind them.

Thanks! If those are in Minnesota, then they must be able to stand up to snow loads, since they aren't all spread open. Do you know what variety those were?

I don't, but I'm guessing it would be one of the common cultivars. Someone here should be able to provide an ID. This is what they're hiding:

There are some advertised as hardy, snow resistant and keep their color HERE:

Names are Wintergreen, North Pole and American Pillar arborvitae.

snow load is usually associated with multi leader plants .... and its those multiple heads that splay out ...

single leader plants... tend to shed snow ... and stay upright ...

if you buy poor stock with multiple leaders.. regardless of the name of the cultivar.. you have a potential problem ... on the other hand.. finding single leader plants of size.. can be hard ...

it would be best to start with small plants.. and make sure.. but that isn't going to solve your problem very fast ....

ken