Screening ideas?

[LushLavender]

Our garden backs onto a car park that belongs to a block of flats. We are quite overlooked by the flats and would like to screen the back for a bit more privacy. Can anyone recommend nice looking and fast growing shrubs or trees? Or would attaching a tall trellis to the 6ft fence with something (fast) climbing work well? How about semi-mature birch trees? I'd like to stay away from Leylandii as they are so dark and a bit overbearing.

Please help! I'm not an experienced gardener at all and with another summer at home, it would be lovely to enjoy the garden a bit more.

We have a similar problem. Our back garden backs onto the end of a cul de sac where the residents park facing our fence. Someone has started emptying the contents of their car over our fence and it is driving me crazy. We have a labrador and he goes down to the fence and picks up whatever is thrown over. So far its crisp packets, kfc packaging, McDonald's drinks cartons. I need something to make it more difficult for them to throw stuff over. Was thinking of willow screening or something similar.

We've been recommended bamboo as a privacy screen.
But I am also not a gardener, so I have no idea whether that's a good idea or what maintenance it needs.....

There are different types of bamboo, running and clumping. You want a clumping one as you don't want it all over your garden. Or you can grow it in very sturdy pots, possibly metal.

You could go for a vigorous clemenatis as a climber which gives you the benefit of flowers.

The other thing I really like at least I'm the summer is very tall branching sunflowers. Obviously they are an annual, so not a tree or a shrub, but for the cost of a packet of seeds you can grow varieties between 8-14ft which really helps with feeling overlooked.

I'm going for some taller ones this year!

This probably shows the 14ft idea better!

I'm looking for this too! I want ones which don't bush too much. I'm quite anti-bamboo but not sure why.

So far I'm considering dogwood because it's pretty in the winter www.ornamental-trees.co.uk/flowering-dogwood-trees-cornus-trees-c35

and also love the look of these Little Gem Magnolias.

Also not a gardener!