i love bamboo, giant bird of paradise etc but do NOT put next to your pool. In our last build we used Zanadu. Big leaves that do not drop and bullet proof. Perhaps find another way to cover the fence other than plants that almost always drop their leave and have invasive roots.

GOOD professional advice is worth every cent of what you pay. If it was my property, I would ignore the upper retaining wall and plant at the bottom, selecting a plant that will screen from the bottom to above the height of the fence. Its also much cheaper this way. There are numerous lily pillies available that you could consider. I would choose something like Syzygium 'Pinnacle' because of its eventual height, its adaptability to different soils and sites, and because it is relatively narrow. Its also fast growing. It is a conical grower. Plant them 1.75 metres apart or thereabouts, working the spacing depending on the length overall and then just nurture them. If you retain the the conical shape, then you wont need to hedge them - just leave free standing or trim the width a bit. Then bring in some taller trees that will grow higher or at least as tall as the Pinnacle - I would use deciduous to allow winter sunlight in and have large garden beds under the trees linking the whole area together with lawn or lily-dale toppings or similar. Lawn would be better for the children, but will need irrigation [in summer only if necessary]. And if growing lawn under trees, you need to be selective with the lawn type considering shade, tree roots etc. I know that people mock the use of lily pillies, but these are people who don't know what they are talking about. The knockers have grown lily pillies that are inappropriate to the position and because of their stuff-up, the whole range of wonderful plants gets canned. The right plant to the site is called sustainability. Councils/government are opening up a lot of areas that were once considered wet-land. So a lot of these new subdivisions do have drainage problems, and buildings with their footings increase the movement of water, increasing the drainage issues. Small gums, like the Eucalyptus leucoxylon ssp megalocarpa is a wonderful tree for soaking up excessive moisture. This is also worth adding to the tree mix, especially to shade western windows. Good luck with your project.

I have the same issue. Here are a few plants that I'm considering: Indian Mast, Pinnacle Syzygium, Pencil Pine, Spartan Conifer, Skyrocket Juniper, Lilly Pilly, Pittosporum and Ficus Hillii. I've probably gotten a few of the names wrong! At the moment, I haven't made a decision as I'm still trying to figure out what will work best for the climate (Brisbane, Queensland), position (some would be in direct sunlight for most of the day, but others would be shaded by houses for most of the day and I'd prefer to have the same variety throughout the yard), soil, etc. I am planning on walking around the neighbourhood to sticky beak at what other people have done in similar situations so that I have better idea of what will grow well and last.

There are a few bamboos that fit the bill, including Bambusa 'Alphonse Karr' and Bambusa textilis 'Gracilis' (slender weaver). Check out this site for bamboo info http://mrbamboo.com.au Facing north the bamboo will require a lot of water, and can look dry in summer. It is beautiful though. The suggested species get to about 4m. You can prune them if you are dedicated. Otherwise hedge and front plant, or a climber if you construct some form of support.