Tibs has the most poignant advice : Green Giant Thuga will get taller than 8 - 10'. Check with your community's zoning, you might be limited on how close you can plant to the road and how high for driver's visability. Even if it is within code to plant that high on a busy street corner I would advice not to. It is very dangerous for your community. Drivers need to be able to see around the corner. I don't understand the rational for removing the short stone retaining wall. It provides you with a low barrier set off the street which is great in regards to winter plowing / snow removal , provides an off street walking or car pull off area and allows the upper grade some flatness. I think that a walk around the Arnold Arboretum will give you some ideas about how to pull together a vignette/ composition of shrubs as well as inform you ( most all the plants are labeled ) of the various plant names. - - If the Arnold Arboretum is not within close distance then try one of the local well maintained museum properties like DeCordova in Lincoln or the old Case Estates in Weston. Another option is Allen Haskells old nursery or Weston nursery - - Otherwise a consultation with a landscape designer would greatly benefit you and would most likely save you $$$ in the long run and you will receive a good base plan to work off of .

I'm using your plan view drawing to make some suggestion. I don't there is as much space in the back yard as it shows so I'm reducing it some. For starters, it looks to me like you are making the patio too small to be genuinely useful. By the time you place a table and chairs, a grill, spillover seating and what not, it would be extremely crowded. Consider expanding it to what average users might desire, even if you don't think you need that much space. I've never heard anyone complain about having too much space on the patio, but plenty complaining of too little. Some small (15' height) trees surrounding the back yard would help give a sense of privacy without becoming overwhelming. To my thinking, multi-trunk trees would be better than single trunks ... more substance, more screening and more options of what could be used. At the front yard, a small multi-trunk tree between you and neighbor's would help your house from theirs and help screen the view between the houses. A medium flowering tree could give the house a sense of being somewhat sheltered, protected and give the street some personality. Like others, I agree that not having shrubs between drive and walk is better. Low (less than 12") groundcover would work better. Carrying it around the sloped portion of the yard and L. side of house would lessen maintenance and give a fuller look. Some seasonal color near the steps would be a cheerful greeting when entering the house.

Here's where I was thinking for trees to cut some wind directed at the patio. Predominant wind is from the NW. This diagram is not to scale. Center could be the ash (fraxinus americana "autumn purple"), autumn blaze maple (Acer x freemanii 'Jeffersred') or maybe an amur cherry (pruunus mackii) but they're listed as "only" 30 year lifespan. Funny you say that about the poplar. I've always lived in very farm-oriented communities so it's fitting that these would be common. The Swedish aspen is listed as more disease tolerant and having a 50 year lifespan. Poplar also tend to sucker where it doesn't sound like the aspen will. After more consideration, I may look to place the cedar elsewhere as they don't seem to tolerate wind very well. Possibly in front of the house under the front window or between the two small windows in the rear.

Looking for low maintenance, shady, and good for the kids. I have huge flower beds in the front and side yards that take up a lot of time so I would like something easy for the backyard. Suggestions for shrubs and trees that are semi-fast growing (no arborvitae). The water forms a little river path when it rains. It drains through the metal culvert pipe on the left hand side. It dries up within a day but does leave the ground muddy for a day or so- Georgia red clay. It was in the original post but planting zone 7b- metro Atlanta area.