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Wait, I'm confused.. did you or the condo put it in?

The spiral trees look tragic.

I would have chosen one large-ish tree on the corner and lower growing shrubbery extending towards the garage.

Bear in mind that these trees aren't going to stay this size - they're going to grow, so IMO you have too many.

What kind of trees are those? Are they arborvitae? If so, I guess I don't like the kind they are. Emerald Green arborvitae is a better choice; they stay neat looking and have a classy appearance. We're waiting until fall to plant trees in front of our entry. I want flowering crapapples. Pretty in the spring, provides some shade in the summer and lets in the sun in the winter. As far as privacy, I think it's the door that's a problem.

P.S. I'm not a fan of spiral trees either. They're beautiful at the store and then not so much when they're planted.

I agree - those trees are too large and there are too many. One in the corner would be enough. I can't imagine that they would look better when the work is finished...

If you're worried about privacy, you may want to consider some kind of treatment on the inside of the doors.

I'm thinking like your parents - good privacy. Box hedges would look neat and clean, and could be cut much lower. Those spiral trees look good nowhere.

It TOTALLY depends on what you're looking out onto from the inside of those shrubs.

It is hard to tell what you had put in. If those are Leyland Cypress, they will be twenty feet tall in just a few years and will overtake your entire side. They will also bust up those nice stone walls you have.

What is your goal for the plantings? Is it to enhance the entry or to provide privacy for the deck/entry area? You will need to have that answered before you can move on to utilizing different plants.

The condo put in the 4 trees not me! and I think I am finding out that I can't take them out b/c it is a safely feature preventing someone from falling of the edge of the rocks. Whatever happened to personal responsibility?

I think I would quietly let those trees fall off the edge of the rocks, oops', and not knowing how that happened replace them with something you're happy with. No suggestions, sorry.

Are all the condos like that? How long have you been there? The area looks new.

It was probably created to look nice, and then someone fell off the edge somewhere. Bad design. People are stupid. They will fall off of things, even if you think it wouldn't be possible.

For instance, in a power outage. Can't see where you are going, misjudge that last forward step, hit the planter area, lose balance, fall forward, and liability lawsuits begin.

A railing is a sound choice and the more responsible one. It would probably have to be installed on the walkway side of the planter, and then the planter is left open to the street and driveway.

That would allow you to have low flowers or cascading things like rosemary. Without it interfering in your view.

You can also point out that having the high trees or shrubs is not a guarantee that someone won't fall into and/or through them. And that "privacy" from passersby also is privacy for burglars lurking at that door, breaking in.

It's also a potential fire hazard. The fire prevention suggestions always included keeping brush away from the home. But there are also ways of making it LESS likely that fire will be a problem:
"Ornamental landscaping with fire resistant plants is encouraged as a long term approach to maintain yard and garden vegetation in a fire safe manner. Landscaping with healthy, appropriately irrigated plants and ground cover provides a permanent reduction of the fire hazard adjacent to structures when such landscaping is maintained at regular intervals. Ornamental landscaping can enhance a firebreak by inhibiting the growth of weeds, grass, brush and similar fire hazardous vegetation. A list of fire resistant and highly flammable plants is available from the Fire Department."

Source:
http://www.el-cerrito.org/fire/prevention_tips_residential.html

That's a local area near me. But the ideas are sound and consistent with what is necessary to help prevent fires. Scroll down here to view the PDF file titled "Firescape: Landscaping to Reduce Fire Hazard":

http://www.ebmud.com/conserving_&_recycling/conservation_publications/default.htm

There ARE a lot of considerations, that somehow get shrugged off, but they seem to me to be common sense. This whole page is common sense to me:

"Questions to consider when selecting plants for fire-safe landscapes are:

■ How large will this plant grow? (affects flame length, fuel load, and maintenance requirements)

■ Will it thrive where it will be planted? (affects health and vigor, flammability)

■ Will it require more maintenance than can be provided, now or in the future? (affects fuel load)

■ Is it invasive? (affects fuel load over wide areas)
Homeowners, landscape designers, maintenance personnel, and public works officials are all, unavoidably, stewards of the land. When we plant a tree or a shrub, we are making a decision that may affect a widening circle of people over a long period of time.

■ If the plant we select grows too large or too fast, if it is invasive, or if it is poorly suited to its location, we are creating a maintenance requirement for those who come after us as well as for ourselves.

■ Even if maintenance can be guaranteed now and in the future, constant pruning of the plant and its eventual removal add to the biomass that threatens to overwhelm our landfills.

■ If the plant is invasive, the maintenance and biomass burdens can extend across property lines, ultimately covering many acres or square miles. Once the most invasive plants are well established over a large area, they cannot be eliminated and require an enormous investment in ongoing maintenance to achieve even moderate control.

Thoughtful and informed plant selection and siting can reduce the threat of wildfire, cut maintenance costs, and help solve the growing problem of biomass disposal not only on our own properties, but in our neighborhoods and on a regional scale.
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Armed with a bit of knowledge, you might be able to sway the condos into putting up a railing and removing the trees, especially if they turn out to be fire hazards, or end up growing into massive entities that take over your home, destroy your foundation with root systems and become a real disaster.

If you can replace them, put in smaller, manicured boxwood to create a barrier between the walkway and the edge. It will look much nicer, and won't grow too big for the space.

The pictures are really confusing me, there are two different buildings of two different colors. Which one is yours and where are the steps to your place if it is the second picture?

Any how, leave the shrubs, add hanging plants for more color and personalization.

Yelena,

Where are you located? Is this a condo near NYC? Would the condo association let you switch out the shrubs/trees as long as ther is something comparable? Also is the condo association responsible for their upkeep? If they are, it may get complicated if you substitute your choice for theirs.

You should also find out more about what is planted and what it may look like when it has grown in. And decide, if you have the freedom, how much privacy you want on that first floor.

If you want a bit of privacy and only care to have the view off the top of the deck, you might have success with bamboo, depending on where you are located.