Look, maybe the spruces work for you, or will for a couple of years yet. Especially with cars occasionally coming off the road at your house, I'm not going to be the one to suggest you take them down without having a good replacement plan. A wood fence doesn't offer the same kind of barrier as tree trunks 6 feet apart. Personally, as I said on the other thread, I would try to plant a replacement row and let it grow in a bit before taking down the spruces, even if it is city property. Depends on your municipality. But you make a good point about salt spray. I'm sure there is a right plant though. Or, you could take out every second spruce first and plant something new in between them, and then when those get big enough cut down the other spruces and fill in those holes. It could even be new spruces, you've got one new one in with the big ones now anyway. So your barrier would be in a state of perpetual renewal and never entirely gone, not the worst thing. But your priority seems to be to make use of the backyard. I have to admit I don't understand this, given that you have a huge yard in the front that is probably quieter and safer. Maybe it's that your house is organized for easy exit to the back and not the front? Or you'd rather be closer to the road to get privacy from the neighbours? As for a structure, it can be as reliable and strong as you make it. If you buy a pre-fab from Canadian Tire or your local equivalent, it will obviously blow away unless you pack it away every winter. But if you sink some serious posts seriously deep and build the rest out of serious dimensional lumber with good joinery, it could be as solid as a house. By the way I think you'll always be cutting those trees down, not selling or moving them. They're common and fast-growing trees so I don't think anyone would have to go to the trouble of trying to dig them out. KarinL

Redbuds cast a great deal of shade and often make it impossible to garden under them for that reason. They don't get too tall, but their branches will eventually strike the house at the distance you are contemplating. Serviceberry has the nice drooping florets and later the delicious berries that many birds love, so you could observe them feasting on them close up if a window looks out on that spot. It does well in partial shade and seems fairly adaptable; I see no reason why you couldn't keep it in shrub form if you are able to find one trained that way. However, I had some revert to small-tree form when I failed to keep them clipped, so you may be able to find a more trouble-free shrub for next to your house, and save your serviceberry planting for along your driveway or other opening from the woodsy areas. Pieris Japonica comes in many forms these days and is an interesting shrub that grows fairly slowly, so requires little attention. Some of the larger Rhododendrons would also do well in that spot, and the color choices and flower forms are wonderful. Of course Forsythia would also grow there, and there are several size choices. Witch Hazel is often difficult to get established, especially if it is a graft. It has a wonderful fragrance when the tiny flowers appear, but it grows very slowly and takes a long time to fill out, in my experience. If you don't mind thorns you could try Bitter Orange, but eventually it will probably crave more sun. The flowers have a nice fragrance and it has beautiful dark shiny leaves...but it also grows quite slowly. The hazelnut tree or shrub is not often thought of but is worth checking into. There is probably not enough sun for a lilac but the hibiscus can tolerate more shade and has flower choices that range from white to a soft pink to a lovely lavender color. All that said, Viburnums are available in many kinds, and the viburnum in any form makes a good wood that stands up to abuse quite well; they are one of the sturdiest shrubs out there, imo, unlike the hydrangeas, which make a very soft stem. However, oak leaf hydrangeas are capable of eventually getting fairly large, and have the interestingly shaped leaves and flower clusters. I believe their color change in fall is also attractive, and they do quite well in partial shade. Here is a link that might be useful: Pieris Japonica references

When would be a good time to get the trees and shrubs planted this year? I was thinking of having the plant material bought by the end of Augustor beginning of september and having it laid out in the area by the end of September to mark the spots to plant the treee/shrubs in and then have it planted by the middle of October. Does this sound like a good plan or should I wait for it to get colder before I plant the trees/shrubs?

you might consider areca palm. it is dense if planted closely together and the litter is limited to the occasional palm frond. I cut ours down because they were planted too close too the lanai but I have seen them used as shade producers.