I typically use Manhattan euonymus for privacy, as it stays green all year, produces flowers and berries. It grows reasonably fast, but good plants can be expensive.

I have not used this plant, but have seen it done very successfully. Clumping bamboo…that should look great at the fence.

But, there isn’t much you can do when a three story building is next to your one story house. Why not just surround the patio area itself. That will be the time you will really desire privacy. You may even want a pergola or something over head…but that is pricey.

Also want to mention I'm in zone 9b!

some ideas

If you want/need privacy screening to block views from a 3 story apartment house, you need trees, not shrubs! And probably not a full fence length....just a couple positioned strategically to block the primary views. You can fill in between with a mixture of shrubs of your choosing.

If you do opt to hedge, go for a looser, more informal look with a mixed planting. Much more visually pleasing aesthetically plus if something happens to one or more of the hedge plants.....which will typically happen even to the best gardeners.......then you can fill in with something else without it looking like a big gaping hole

WARNING: Clumping bamboo means it won't run/spread AS FAST -- but it will still be invasive. Seriously, don't go that route unless you plan to plant clumping bamboo in HUGE/deep above ground planters or create a 3' deep (concrete walled, bottom-less) trench.

Question: Where/how are you going to spend time in the backyard? Inexpensive screens close to seating areas could provide immediate privacy during the several years it takes for hedges to mature.

You might want to add where you are and your growing zone since not all plants grow equally well in all areas.

Wow! Thank you to all. The visuals do present some good ideas.(Big Dough Design and Vstavay) By the way, I'm in Zone 9b.

And as you could see in the design, I'm pretty set on a deck and a patio (more entertaining space) plus some sort of turf/grass for my dog. And due to budget, I will opt for umbrella/canopy instead of a pergola structure.

Cara H - I plan to spend time on the deck(lounging) and dining/fire pit on the patio. I'm not big in gardening, so being functional and low maintenance are a priority for me.

I wonder if it's a better look with 4 parallel trees in the back (to offset my deep backyard) or alternatively plant 2 as primary privacy per Big Dough Design's ligustrum lucidum suggestion. Will ligustrum lucidum (15 gallon) grow faster than, say, pittosporum (5-10 gallon) to reach an ideal height of 8-10 feet?

15 gal Ligustrum will probably be 5-6' tall now.

I've just the same dilemma now, I didn't even define the plant I wanted, the assortment is huge. The evergreeen plants I tend to can be found here , happily the climate favors this idea. I also don't want any plants which demand extra care, I just have no time for this.

I had a patio in close quarters at my last house. For privacy, a combo of large shrubs and trees worked very well and filled in fast. I would plant around the patio rather than around the fence. Less space to cover, more bang for your buck. For the fence, you can get smaller plants gradually and give them time to grow. Wait for things to go on sale at the local big mart. Nicer things closer to the patio.

Provide location, not just zone. 9B Arizona is much different from 9B Florida.

As to the question of, "Does just mulch look weird?" the answer is yes! It seems better suited to a utilitarian commercial yard of some sort ... like the tree trimmer's place where I go to buy firewood. Over time, it fades, looking "depleted" and spent. And it is the color of death, not life. It also slowly disintegrates and must periodically be replenished. Nature's way is to cover everything that isn't solid rock with some kind of plant. It's the earth's upholstery. And it's a good solution because it is ever rejuvenating, looking always fresh and new .... and alive. There are "down times" but we try to minimize them as best we can, and usually, they're easily tolerable.

While mowed lawn has been for centuries the defacto standard wherever low, durable planting is desired, it is not the only possibility. Also, consider low groundcovers. Some are low and durable enough to be walked on here and there. For example, I am in Florida and have perennial peanut as a lawn instead of turf. It blooms moderately all the way from February to November, and blooms heavily in June. It is super cheery looking (which I'm all about.) Surely, there must be something in your area you can use to do the same if you don't want gras. I don't see how mulch alone, as a major landscape element, can measure up (over time) to groundcovers.

And for a completely differing opinion....."Does just mulch look weird?", my answer would be not at all :-) There are all manner of mulches and some are better suited for some applications and locations than others and will have differing aesthetic qualities. Not all mulches will look "dead". I would also argue that nature does not necessarily cover all bare surfaces (other than rock) with plants. In many cases, the soil is covered by layer upon layer of discarded plant matter - fallen leaves and tree needles, dead annual vegetation, pieces of limbs and twigs, etc., forming a naturally occurring mulch that restricts or inhibits unwanted growth while nourishing existing plants

I would also ague that some gardeners or homeowners do not want a solid, unbroken expanse of plant material. They prefer individual plants to be distinct and many even prefer that the plants never touch each other. And many groundcovers can be overly aggressive spreaders, requiring more time and attention to control than a typical mulch.

Would I use mulch in place of a lawn? Generally, no. In that case groundcover plants might make more sense.

Applied organic mulches - shredded bark, wood chips, leaves, certain seed or nut hulls, even compost or manures, etc. - are of huge benefit to a garden in that as they decompose over time, they release valuable plant nutrients and stimulate soil biology. They also help to retard weed growth, slow soil moisture evaporation and insulate both plants and soils against temperature swings.

Groundcovers are just living mulches. But they are not the only solution nor necessarily the best. It all depends on one's preferences and application situation.