Jinx... I am actually tempted by that Bigfoot idea! 🙀😹😹😹

Thank you so much for the pretty mockup! That definitely gives me a new vision. Hmmmm...........

I was looking for a good pic of our beech tree, but I don't seem to find one. Anyway, I'd check at your local nursery...there are a number of plants that grow tall and narrow that would make a natural disguise.

https://myemail.constantcontact.com/Urban-Trees--Narrow-Space-Savers---American-Beech.html?soid=1011304301065&aid=2cFRllu5QSw

Maybe install one of those outdoor convex mirrors and then instead of the vent, it will reflect the surrounds opposite it.

I really prefer the idea of an evergreen plant because I think it can actually help filter some of the smell.

If you have room for a skinny curved planting bed, edged (at least on the good side) like your existing bed, you could obscure the vent AND diminish the downspout (which of course doesn't bother you because it's legal and doesn't stink and is supposed to be there).

A wider planting instead of a solitary glob would be a backdrop to your nice plantings instead of a lone entity out there.

And I would do bamboo because it sounds so nice in the breeze. Either sink a barrier into the ground or get a clumping variety. Both if you're paranoid.

Have you checked with the landscape design forum here on GW? More photos and actual distances will be requested if you do. :)

There are zillions of online ideas using antique or vintage exterior doors, screen doors, teak dividers or patina shutters as useable exterior works of Art.

This is not one of those, but, best shows what’s in my head.

What if you started with a smaller bench like this below and attached an interesting screen door, door, shutters or divider behind it?

You could also add something on the sides for climbing vines. You don’t necessarily need something 8’ high, you just need tall and interesting to distract. However, some sort of door might do it.

This website might be helpful A&M Link for selecting plants for your area. Surely there is some sort of fast growing column shaped tree that will grow well in your yard.

I wouldn't do a tree or shrub, it will throw your landscape plan off balance (odd numbers best) and detract from your lovely focus chaste tree. I would do a flat relatively open trellis wall, with a contrasting foliage plant growing up it as a background to highlight the chaste tree. Not sure of a candidate for your zone. Perhaps some type of clematis? I have zero luck with them. Passionflower?

They sell all kinds of trellises, from the geometric traditional ones, to ones shaped like leaves . . . I'd go for something rectangular, to contrast with the chaste tree. Fairly wide, but not oppressively wide.

I wouldn’t want something (a structure) too solid. I feel it would be a bit claustrophobic and cut off. I’d just want something pretty to look at, that still feels open, while distracting away from the vent. And some plant that gets large enough to hide the vent would really overpower the area and be a pain to mow around.

Hiding the vent is not going to solve the big problem of cooking smells.

Ida, you say it is an "illegal cooking vent”.

When all this virus thing is over and things are back to normal (wishing/hoping/praying), give the building inspector a visit. He had to sign off on the property. You can sweetly ask why the vent was allowed to impact your right to enjoy the outdoors. It is your right…just as if you lived in an apartment building and a strong spice smell invaded your space.

Since it was put in illegally, I’m wondering how safe it is for them? Maybe another angle we can shoot for? Concern for the safety of your next door neighbors?

To be quite honest, I don't think I would have ever even noticed that vent and what makes it illegal? Don't they have to have a vent over their cooking area, I'm pretty sure they go out the side of their house if they cannot be vented to the roof. I'm confused what the big deal is.

FWIW, I had a lot of issue with neighbors out smoking when I lived in similarly close quarters. No cure for that. Occasional cooking smells from my neighbor, but she was a great cook and shared so NBD. The smoking was what really ruined it for me. And also occasional grilling too, which I can't stand the smell of. My folks ended up selling their condo after living there 15 years without incident. The person who bought the condo unit below them insisted on grilling out at night, after 10:30 when he got home from work, right below their bedroom window, and often with friends or making other types of noise. Big fight with condo association to get hm to stop, and he still kept on doing it. Refused to use grill in the common area just across the driveway from his unit.

If these are issues for you you should never have purchased a zero lot line home.

OK I take back what I said. I have three big arborvitate in my front yard, they totally block my view of the road and provide a green wall which is nice to look at and provides a find backdrop to a little "secret garden' I have behind them which can be viewed from my bedroom window. So a line of 3 narrow pyramid arborvitae, starting behind your chaste tree and ending to cover the vent view would be good. Just make sure the don't shade the chaste tree too much. Here's a picture of my three.

Wow Zinnia, just wow. . .

Arkansas girl and others asking questions, Ida had a prior thread explaining the problems with the vent.

I like the structure that Terri shared, but without a seat. Just a wide trellis type structure. I'm sure you could find some lovely vines for your area. Keep us posted!

Yeah, a couple of you are real "gems". Thankfully you're in the minority. Pretty sure we know who zinnia is anyway. Yet another incarnation of a longtime poster who can never keep herself from falling into troll territory.

For any who missed the other thread on this matter and who care to know more about the issue of illegality, just search the forum. I'm not going to detail it all again here.

ANYWAY. Big thanks to the many helpful and thoughtful responses. You've given me a lot of really great ideas to ponder. There certainly are great options for softening the look of an expanse of brick, and I will continue to explore possibilities in the days to come. I greatly appreciate the input. As for the vent, I sat on the patio enjoying a cup of tea this evening and the cooking odors came wafting over shortly after 5pm. It was so noxious that I had to go indoors. It's not only the smell of strong spices, but it comes with a rancid oily smell. It's like having the smells of a commercial kitchen pumped into my backyard. That vent is going away. Rest assured.

Sometimes you don't know that you don't like something till you've been there for a while zingia.

I remember ida's conversation about that vent before too.

Maybe a nice piece of lattice could be attached to the front of it. But I'm sure that would mean talking to the neighbours.. If you do put lattice in front of it on your property there are so many beautiful clematises that you could look at instead of that vent.

Ida I know the bamboo idea is off the table but...about three or three and a half years ago I planted a non- evasive type of bamboo and it has worked well with hiding the two story house off of my side yard. It hasn’t grown anywhere much but up, over ten ’ a year. However, I get that it might throw off the rest of your design...don’t know.

This isn’t a good photo due to the glare but the bamboo is behind the purple plant.

JT, do you happen to know what variety bamboo that is?

I don’t, sorry. I might be able to find out though. I went to a place way out west of me that specializes in bamboos.

I skimmed your other post Ida. Has the inspector/HOA deemed this vent to be OFFICIALLY illegal?

Oh darn Ida! Not again. Sure enough, I ventured over to her favorite board (shudder!) and there she is in. Hmmm the last reincarnation sure didn't last long!

Ida, I will hopefully know the bamboo species by the end of the day. I sent an email with photos to the bamboo nursery. I’ve been thinking of getting another further along the fence to almost completely block out the two story house. The location of the nursery is such a pain though.

Thank you so much, JT! How sweet of you to check into this further. I really like the bamboo in your pic. It's so graceful!

The vent IS illegal. It violates Section 501 (subsection 3.1) of the International Mechanical Code, which requires a minimum of three feet distance from a property line.

Now that that is officially established, are you going to report them?

Ida, how is your stove ventilated? Why did they feel the need for this vent?

i am assuming their home is similar.

Hopefully the vent will be removed in the future so I believe a tall potted tree placed where you need it to soften the view for now would be nice. But a solid screen panel might help hinder offensive Odets but would only hide the vent while seated. I bought a four panel ceded screen to hide our pool equipment and it really helps block sound of the heat pump too so I wonder if it would help with odors as well. I got it a year ago online target and it was out all winter and still looks great. It is only five feet tall though.

Jt and Ida, I put my bamboo in long rectangular pots (I have two), and the pots sit upon concrete blocks, the concrete blocks are dirt level-not on top of dirt. Ours are in a landscaped area, so we threw mulch on top of the concrete block, where you don't see the concrete block at all. Hope that makes sense. I know sounds like a lot of work, but it wasn't. I put the concrete blocks underneath, so that if any stray bamboo shoots come out of the pot, they only get to the concert block, not the dirt. I've had it for 5 years and has been contained. It does need a semi-sunny place. I have the kind with lime green stalks. To me, the non-invasive kind that grows in our neck of the woods is ugly, so I went the invasive option and put in pots. I think that would be pretty in between your houses.

Sorry, I didn't get the memo about arborvitae not thriving in your zone. Where are you located, generally? Isn't it Texas? I see Yaupon holly is a popular evergreen there. I'm not sure on your other dark green foliage plants, seems like you would want something in a contrasting foliage pattern/shape and color from the chaste tree so as to highlight it, not obscure it.

Yep, we're in TX. I read that arborvitae may do well for a season or two, but inevitably succumbs to the heat and occasional drought conditions here. So that's out.

This is not something we need to do right away, but I am glad to be collecting so many good ideas. We resodded a portion of our lawn yesterday, so immediate focus will be ensuring that gets off to a good start. I am eager to be able to just go to the nursery and browse. I miss that!

Here you go Ida...

http://www.tropicalbamboo.com/bamboo_shopping.asp?bid=25&bamboo=Bambusa%20malingensis%20-%20Maling%20or%20Seabreeze%20Bamboo

EDITED: Their site is very educational. They ship! Search by zone and more.

Thank you!!!

I’m confused (as usual) but If the vent is illegal, why should YOU have to go through all this to cover it from your view? Why can’t you just insist that they remove it and return the wall to it’s original look? I don’t mean to sound harsh but if they broke the rules, then the omen is on them to make it “right” not you.

As I was out walking and looking at houses, I saw many houses with this same looking vent on the side of their house. Are you sure this isn't a bathroom exhaust vent. The glass block on the window looks like what one would have in a bathroom, not in a kitchen.

Yews grow well in Texas.

That could explain the noxious odors, arkansas girl....

Now I really couldn't sit out there while the exhaust fan is on!

OK, look ... the vent. It's already been the subject of a lengthy thread, and I do understand that not everyone reading this thread will have read THAT thread, but I'm not inclined to go over all the details of the vent. It IS an illegal cooking vent, and I'm waiting on the city to address the issue. I'm confident that the vent will become a non-functioning element once the city takes matters in hand (COVID-19 seems to have slowed everything to a crawl, and I totally understand that this issue is not a municipal priority), but it is possible that the white vent hood will remain in place if the owners do not remove it. And I can totally imagine them NOT removing it, as they aren't going to be pleased to know that their installation is not allowable. So let me try to redirect the responses to the fact that I'm seeking ideas to disguise the vent if it doesn't go away, and regardless of whether it remains or is removed, soften our view of the expanse of brick wall. Thanks, all!

Vent or no vent, would be nice and fun to put something to cover up the brick wall view and provide something pretty to look at. My backyard faced the back brick wall of my garage. I put up some trellises and grew raspberries along them. Beautiful, edible, and if I was too lazy to pick them, the cardinals and catbirds did, singing all the while. But there are other plants that would grow on a trellis wall just as nice. Note, that other big wooden thing is a trellis cover DH made for me to cover my compost bin and keep the mice from burrowing under the bottom. It was when we just met and were courting. It's how he stole my heart, ;) BTW, that purple thing in the foreground is buddlia, which can get big and attracts butterflies. It's very invasive, but in your spot probably not an issue, where does it have to go?! That might be an option. Also in background, a dwarf pine. Not an option for your dry spot, but there are TX pines that you might be able to find. Or junipers, both evergreens can take some drought, although I don't know about heat, heat, heat.

Awww, that trellis cover is so lovely and I totally understand how someone making that could cause a heart to be stolen! 💗 There are some absolutely beautiful gardens owned by this group! And that trellis is an ideal means of softening a hard structure. So pretty.

You could also invest in a large pot or 2 for height and plant a palm

I ususally buy this type of palm at Ikea (less than $15), but Home depot sells them too. I use this on my porch for a little privacy from the neighbors. They blow in the wind and grow during the summer too.

For everyone wanting to comment and not understanding the problem. Here is the original post with details. If you will read it first, you will understand the problem and why it is illegal. The fact that it is an HOA and you wouldn't live there, has nothing to do with it. It is an HOA. It is a zero lot line home. The neighbor did not follow the rules and they most likely did it to save money. They could go through the wall cheap and to go through the roof would of been a lot more money. They need to fix it correctly.

https://www.gardenweb.com/discussions/5876144/zero-lot-line-woe#n=101

IdaClaire, maybe it won't take much longer. You have a very pretty area to Corona in. I am going to use some of the ideas you have been getting for my patio!

Maybe you posted this and I missed it - but how high off the ground is the vent?

“I am going to use some of the ideas you have been getting for my new patio.”

Bigfoot? Please please please. 😁

Ida, forgive me for my Bigfoot obsession, but I have to share this. It showed up on the D/FW Craigslist a couple of years ago. I laughed so hard! It’s just so bizarre. I always wonder where the big fella and his cowboy hat ended up.

Hahahahaha! You mean he didn't end up at your house?? Pity. We could've pooled our resources and shared custody! 😂 Dress him for all the major holidays, but always with the hat. I think the hat just says it all!

And now I'm reminded of this:

https://youtu.be/AeavqyDYQtQ

Bird feeders & plants? A pain to access, but temporary.

Bigfoot is a no go. Twelve pound thinks-he-is-a-rottweiler would never stop barking.

Ninasmom, there are house finches nesting under the neighbor's eaves!

Tiger, that tiny baby is FIERCE! 🙀😹

That video 😂

I always think of The Six Million Dollar Man fighting him (played wonderfully by Andre the Giant):

https://www.dailymotion.com/video/x5xdfda

tigereye, Twelve pound is adorable! Those ears! 😍

Wow, that is one helluva fight sequence! 🤣🤣🤣 The music totally makes it!

One more Bigfoot story, and I hereby SWEAR I will stop. Localeater started it!

Ok, so we saw the life size metal one at that Talavera place. Well, my dad recently bought some treed acreage and decided he wanted to build a shop with apartment. It’s coming along nicely, just got framed last week.

We are so tempted to buy one of the Bigfoots and set him up by a tree. Off just enough in the distance to be confusing. And the next time my dad goes out there, he’ll be all, “Wha ... ! What is that!” 😂

Got it, sorry, I forgot about the details of the original thread, but I did warn that I was confused. :c)