Add a couple of outdoor mirrors in strategic spots on the fence. Plant things in front of them to suggest additional depth to your garden. If you are worried about the fence, prop them on something low and lean them against the fence with a garden in front. I'd possibly look at painting the fence a dark colour and plant light green or coloured plants in front. I have a beautiful one that has pink leaves that glows in the sunlight. Add a mirror and you could create a beautiful space.

a quick look on HOUZZ revealed many photos of similar ideas... you may like to check out "garden colonnade or climbing roses" for inspiration and i'll keep looking for something suitable..the idea is to build the structure tall enough so that the top is way above the height of the existing fence and you could also add horizontal panels of lattice as well as the climbers to obscure the neighbours' roof and your shrub roses can be planted between the colonnade and the fence The neighbour's structure looks like it's attempting to block out your house it's just not tall enough...

Hi Julie, sorry to ask another question - the landscaper has told me that planting chanticleer 1m apart may cause issues with the root system. But I'm worried that planting them 1.5m-2m apart won't give the same hedge effect. Have you noticed any issues? I was hoping that by keeping them pruned to 3-4m high the roots wouldn't spread too far or wide but maybe that's not the case. We will be planting along our front fence line, so close to the neighbours on one side, our driveway on the other and a footpath at the front. Our yard is about 20cm higher than the footpath and retained by a very small red brick wall that is hidden by the daisies you see in my original photo. Thanks again for all your advice!

Pittosporum is very quick growing and has a narrow trunk and thin branches so its probably the best option if you want a tall and dense, but also thin hedge - I have Silver Sheen as a hedge in several areas in my yard and it grew from 1 foot high to over 2m in 2 years. Alternatively clumping bamboo (not as invasive but probably best planted in long containers and placed along the fence line) will quickly give you privacy and both the leaves and trunks of bamboo are attractive. If you go for one of the Lilly Pilly hedges Id recommend one that doesnt fruit as much, as the berries can make a big mess especially when the birds notice them.