We live in Perth, Western Australia, where the climate is hot in summer and quite cool in winter. We moved into a house almost 3 years with an 'edible' garden which has become time-consuming for me to maintain as I have a long term spinal issue. I'm hoping someone can suggest trees, shrubs or hedges (medium to fast growing) to screen the old and ugly corrugated Hardi-fence and provide additional screening for at least another metre over the fence line. We have a pool centrally located and are keen to avoid deciduous plants to minimise leaf litter and provide maximum screening all year round. Changing the fence is not an option due to the nature of our neighbours; and similar issues arise with fixed privacy screens.
Our preference is to find a green-leafed tree suitable for pleaching (like a robinia mop top), without the maintenance issues, underplanted with flowering perennials. The minimum distance from fence line to pool is ~2.5 to 3metres. We do not want a tropical/palm tree inspired garden. Any suggestions gratefully received.