Whatever you choose, it will take some time to get tall enough to screen the upstairs windows, so you might want to have some less permanent screening close to the patio area that can be removed when your tree of choice has got tall enough to do the job.
If you only need screening in summer, a deciduous tree would be fine (silver birch has quite a light canopy so would interrupt their view rather than blocking it completely, even when in leaf). Don't forget if you're planting into the lawn area you'll need to keep a clear circle around the tree to give it a good chance of growing well. You could put small spring bulbs and woodland plants in, but not grass - it out-competes young trees.
I've done a couple of sketches on your photo to show what I mean.
Deciduous tree:
Narrow conifer:
Doncaster, South Yorkshire. Soil type: sandy, well-drained
I suggest willow wands pushed into the ground at 30cm spacing.. In two years it will be six feet and you can cut every other one. you will end up with a tall "light" barrier.
@Orchidia ... Kilmarnock willow is Salix caprea pendula ... a weeping form grafted onto the top of a straight Salix stem ... cuttings will simply make a tangled mound low down on the ground.
a very thirsty plant plant which needs wet soil conditions ... it would also need regular coppicing ... over time the coppicing produces a large conspicuous ‘stool’ (like a tree stump). In my experience coppiced osiers aren’t really suitable for most small gardens.
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
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Whatever you choose, it will take some time to get tall enough to screen the upstairs windows, so you might want to have some less permanent screening close to the patio area that can be removed when your tree of choice has got tall enough to do the job.
If you only need screening in summer, a deciduous tree would be fine (silver birch has quite a light canopy so would interrupt their view rather than blocking it completely, even when in leaf). Don't forget if you're planting into the lawn area you'll need to keep a clear circle around the tree to give it a good chance of growing well. You could put small spring bulbs and woodland plants in, but not grass - it out-competes young trees.
I've done a couple of sketches on your photo to show what I mean.
Deciduous tree:
Narrow conifer:
I suspect @we11ington is thinking of osiers ... Salix viminalis ... https://www.woodlandtrust.org.uk/visiting-woods/trees-woods-and-wildlife/british-trees/a-z-of-uk-native-trees/osier/
a very thirsty plant plant which needs wet soil conditions ... it would also need regular coppicing ... over time the coppicing produces a large conspicuous ‘stool’ (like a tree stump). In my experience coppiced osiers aren’t really suitable for most small gardens.
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.