90 x 25 ft. Thuja Privacy Fence - Am I Nuts??

[DeereCadet]

I need to remove a Cedar privacy fence that was planted way too close together about 30 years ago. The trees were spaced about 3-5 feet apart and generally were not maintained, except for trimming the height. They are now around 25-30 feet tall. I have branches going into the ground on almost every tree. A local landscaper has recommended Thujas and I was thinking that this may be a good idea although I am now considering going with either of the following:

Arborvitae
Cypress
Leylandii
Cryptomeria, or
???

I don't have any experience with any of this so I will probably hire a landscape designer or professional firm for the removal of the Cedars. I live in Tulalip (across the freeway from Marysville), Washington and the zone is either 8a or 8b. My goal with whichever tree I finally decide on is to have a very nice privacy fence, no taller than 8-10 feet. I am thinking about planting them 7-10 feet apart to have an "immediate" fence but I am now wondering if this is a good idea.

Is there a place to go on the Web to see examples of "mature" Thuja (or other variety) privacy fences?

Thanks in advance for any advice or tips!:)

[DeereCadet]

I guess that this thread should be in the Homeowner Help forum (I just noticed it). Mods, pls. move it if you must.

While I'm here, how should I go about locating a landscape designer, other than the Yellow Pages or Google?

[Stonehenge]

I would ask your local landscaper for the variety of Cedar you have; your best example of a Thuja privacy fence may be the one already in your yard. The common name often used for Thuja is Cedar, and that may in fact be what you already have.

"Arborvitae" is the more "common" common name for Thuja, and "Cypress" is also sometimes used.

I think your best bet would be to call in a pro and get a design, because it sounds a little like your first guy may have recommended the same thing several different times using different words to describe the same thing.

[DeereCadet]

Thank you for replying. My local landscaper, who mostly does lawns btw, really only mentioned Cypress and Thuja as a replacement. As for what I have, they are "Evergreen" cedars as far as I know. I realise that that doesn't help much.

So, how should I go about locating a reliable landscape designer in my area?

[Stonehenge]

Our site does not yet have a well-established and populated referral service, though you can certainly visit the site to see if there are companies offering services in your area (landscaping-directory.com). Beyond that, I would call your local nurseries and ask for recommendations - they may offer a service themselves, of they may have a few companies they like to work with. Also talk to friends, neighbors and coworkers. See who they've used and liked.

For as much as I spend on yellow pages advertising I should tell you to look there, but those ads are only a function of how much a company is spending, and not necessarily on the kind of work they do. Some fantastic companies have no ad at all; some questionable companies have huge ads; some are "just right" for who they are and what they do - it can sometimes be a crap shoot.

Hope that helps.

[HardDaysKnight]

This may help you!
Go to yahoo search. Enter landscaper and hit local.
It will ask how many miles from your zip code. Put in whatever
you prefer and get the results.