Question
QUESTION: My husband I just bought a 3 story colonial home on a corner lot.  There is no back yard and the entire lot has a chain link fence surrounding it.  There is absolutely no privacy when sitting on the patio at the back side of the house or anywhere for that matter.  What can we do to add privacy and perhaps even hide the chain link fence?

ANSWER: You have four choices and maybe less depending on any rules for your city or subdivision:
1. Plant vines to grow on and cover the fence. I can try and tell you what vines will work best but you will need to tell me where you live first so I can determine the climate.
2. Replace the fence with a more decorative solid wood fence that your neighbors can not see through.
3. You may plant a hedge row on either side of the fence depending on the room you have. Again if you can tell me where you live I can be more specific about what plants to use.
4. You can replace the fence with a solid wall of brick or other masonry material.
Best of Luck

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: I live in Massachusetts.  We have so much invested in the interior of the home right now, a wood fence or rock/brick wall might not be affordable.  Hedges might be ok, but they are so common.  Our house is a 1900 colonial with Victorian detail, so I would like to keep the outside in line with the style.  I would eventually like to take out the chain link, but right now it does not seem feasible.  ==

Answer
Well unfortunately I'm not very familiar with the plants in your zone. I want to add that there is no cheap solution here that will look great right away. A vine will take a good bit of time to make a real impact and hide an ugly chain link fence. A hedge too may take time to fill in and is often just as expensive as a wood fence depending on the size of the plants. It sounds like from your description of budget concerns that your only option is going to be a fast growing vine or shrub placed near the fence. But as I said I am just not familiar with the vines and such that do well  in your area and would hate to steer you in the wrong direction. I would advise you to visit your local nursery and take this up with one of the nurseryman so you get solid advice for a plant/vine that will do well in your area and grow fast.
Sean J Murphy, LA,ISA, LEED AP
Please check out my blogs and articles on landscape topics like this on my websites.
http://www.seanjmurphy.com
http://amenityarchitects.com