Gardening/Landscaping

Instead of a privacy fence what about just a normal gated fence with bushes in some areas so that it's a little more private? Or you could just plant bushes in some areas of the yard

Althea rosea is a great flowering tree that doesn't get to large but does produce a lot of seed. This seed can be used to start more plants to create a hedgerow. A. rosea is very hardy and will grow in almost any type of soi. You can also trim it to your preference. I do not know where you reside so this might not apply to you.

You could put up a hedge bush row. Its advantages are that it costs less than a privacy fence its nicer looking than a wood wall. the disadvantages are it takes up more space, takes more care and it may take a few years to grow but can do a pretty good job of privacy. If you want to plant flowers and since you missed planting bulbs in the fall I would suggest planting geraniums and impatiens(both are annuals). If you want some greenery you could buy some of the ornamental grasses(perennials). Annuals are 1 year plants and Perennials are plants that come back year after year. Also if you want herbs you could plant them around the house, mint I think I heard keeps ants away from the house. Hope this helps.