A little bit of privacy

I'd have them so they're leaning into the garden away from the wall and then slap anyone who tried to take them :lol:

 

If we're talking grasses, then Miscanthus can be grown as a screen/hedge effectively. The variety is Miscanthus X Giganteus

http://www.victoriananursery.co.uk/garden_hedging/mammoth_miscanthus_hedging/

(if this link is not allowed, sorry!).

Our council grow this in clumps in public parks and it looks lovely, makes a lovely noise when the wind blows through it and isn't invasive.

 

Saw the pics. HUMM. Seems like no matter what up put up there, the sun will be blocked. So you'd have to change the plantings you have there to shade loving plants. And, having such a short distance from stoop/house to side walk, as you enclose it with any kind of blockage it will feel like a closed in feeling. And its not safe, anyone can hide inside and behind. So then you'd end up wanting a locked door at the side walk. As a women I would not want to walk into an area so closed in like that and so close to public access.
Go with the curtains. If you have cats, get a squirt bottle with water, before you know it your aim is so good, and they do get it after a short time. Raised 7 kittens with a squirt bottle, no curtain pulls.

 

Honeysuckle is a great, low maintenance climber. There are evergreen vareities, and they are all fragrant. Jasmin is also great. Again very nice fragrance. There is actually a winter flowering Jasmin too, so you could have a mix to give flowers over most of the year.

If you go with the climber plan (that's what I would personally do), then just keep in mind that some like full sun, and others don't mind shade, and some thrive when their tops are in full sun but like their roots in the shade. It all boils down to which way your house faces. If it is south facing then you can choose just about anything. If it is north facing you'll need something that likes partial shade. There are honeysuckles, jasmins and clematis' to suit just about all conditions.

 

im afraid if it wasn't for venetian blinds it would be curtains for us all

have you thought about a beaded curtain ? they are not to close together
and would still let the light in, you can get the diamond effect,don't know if that would go with your interior design or not

 

Clematis cirrhosa is an evergreen, winterflowering plant, so you have all year round interest. Also, it`s not so rampant as bamboo, honeysuckle or jasmine.:gnthb:

 

I'll send Poppy round to yours then Red-she's a lynx.

 

If you go for a mix of climbers as others have suggested, get ones that don't require much pruning. For example, clematis needs some proper pruning to prevent it getting woody - but if you have it with honeysuckle or jasmine it becomes very difficult to differentiate between them....

 

Cirrhosa doesn`t need pruning, just a gentle trim from time to time.:thumb:

 

I would go for a variety of colourful shrubs that can be kept in place by trimming and shaping and different shapes.

Photina Red Robin, Lonicera Baggensens Gold, Hypericum Hidcote, Jasminum nudiflorum (winter), Ilex Golden King, Bay Laurel (+ Aurea), Golden Privet, Elaeagnus, Camellia, Berberis, Choisya

I think a trellis will still leave you wanting to plant the rest of the space and could still look like a hedge

 

Claire, I got so good with my aim, could squirt the water over the head of one kitten hitting the misbehaving kitten. The water bottle always quickly accessible, so it was a matter of seconds before their little brain thought of climbing the curtains. And truly, given seven kittens I rescued there are no pulls in them. And today the ones I kept from that litter still remain away from the curtains.
Good memories with them all.

 

Has been, I don`t know how much of this thread you`ve read. The idea is to give privacy without blocking out all light, which the plants you suggest, will do. By using trellis, the front of the bed can be used for lots of colourful bedding plants. And will entail a lot less work than your huge shrubs.:gnthb: