I like it, (particularly the sweeping left bed) but I think I'd like to close the entrance to the commons more, with some more screening? Not only for privacy, but also because people walk their dogs on the commons and it would be great if my dog couldn't see them and bark! :)

Just know that simultaneously, you are reducing of cutting off your own view. To close the space more, I'd leave the left bed as it is (that fits the tree) and extend the right-side bed to do the work of closing. Add material sufficient to close off to your desires, but not too close to the edges. Either leave a 6' wide, minimum, path between the beds, or build an arbor (from scratch) and use it to close off the space with a gateway. Add a gate to close it further, according to your preferences. With an arbor, you can bring tall material in the bed, to it.

You can have your view, your barrier, and your egress. Take the two “arms” of yardvarks borders and bring them in so they overlap, one in front of the other but leaving a gap for a path leading out. Your view will be open if you keep the plantings on these arms low. The path can be as obscured or welcoming as you like. Perhaps someone can draw what I mean.

I think that the overlapping beds would be hard to pull off. IMO, the tree bed needs to be circular to reflect the tree. Extending the other bed starts getting funky with the lawn very fast.

Another possible way of closing off the space is to use an arcade type device. This could be as minimal as a series of tall posts/columns (whatever) marching across the end of the yard. A chain could span from post to post. Vines grow up and cover the whole upper portion, forming a series of arches between the posts. This does not preclude closing the bed portions more or planting taller material in the beds.

Sadly we are not allowed any kinda of structures in the yard. No posts. Might be able to get away with an arbor if it were completely hidden, but that would be hard to do.

When one lives where the law doesn't allow practical problem solving, one is left with either unsolved or compromised solutions. One must float their boat in the ocean that surrounds them.

I could tell a long story about the dispute over 6 ft of my shrub border, and the vegetable bed I was forced to remove. Housing Associations are fun!

What if I took a more boring approach, and just put an island bed in the middle with a gap at each end?

Thoughts on an island bed anyone? 🙂

I think you have to explain exactly what you mean in order for anyone to appraise the idea. Presently, there are 3 beds at the left, right and foreground. Are you talking about adding a 4th bed? In general, the idea doesn't strike me as the better solution. I think you need to figure out how to expand one or more of the beds that are already there.

I mean an island bed that spans the back of the property, leaving a gap to the commons on both sides of it (North and South). Or I can extend the north (left) bed, but not easily the south (right) one because that is the bed that sticks 6ft too far into the commons (🙄) so that might be the obvious place to leave an opening to the commons.

Take graph paper and draw your beds. Draw the existing beds in black. Then add in red the new extended bed. (North bed with gap for south bed.) Be sure to mark lot lines and easements. The survey will help with that. Indicate the commons.

Personally, I would just give up and move, but I don't like HOA. We bought before they were everywhere, and to be honest, a lot of people like them.

Really read your bylaws. If you have to modify the bed that is too far into the commons, consider that. Find out what you can really do and then work with a plan for that. You are never going to win by butting heads with the PTB's (powers-that-be).

If nothing works, for peace of mind, you really might want to consider a different property.

I'm pretty sure we are here for the long haul. It's a great neighborhood and the HOA fees are $40. The problem is one neighbor, 2 houses down 😕 That conflict is over, and I have a letter saying my bed stays. I do however want to make sure that the new bed is on my property 😆 So do you think extending one bed is better than just an island bed in the middle? Several houses have a berm at the back, but that does seem like a lot of work!

There is no rule of "one way is better than the other." It's going to boil down to the details of how any particular way is accomplished.

Well yes... but obviously I'm here asking questions because I can't get to the answer myself. :) For example:

Conceptually, the only thing that can be done is close off the path to the point that satisfies you, which we can only guess at.

The left side is already dominated by a fully grown tree. Adding things that compete with the tree don't enhance the overall picture in my estimation. Adding a "center" island that allows for a mere 2' grass path between it and the willow island (as is shown in your illustration) doesn't make sense. To pull it off you're going to have to expand the right "island," bringing it as close to the left island as satisfies your criteria, and fill it with plants that achieve the screening height you're after. (I don't think you can make the grass path any less than 6' width.)