We live off a busy street and were looking for planting suggestions to block the street view and noise. We were thinking about planting some Thuja (arborvitae) for evergreen coverage. We'd like to plant several layers of plants if possible. Do you have any other suggestions? This area gets the late-afternoon sun.

– Debbie and Bill Dodson, Rocklin

There are several varieties of Thuja orientalis that can be used as accent plants, said UC master gardener Bill Pierce.

They are slow growers, vary in height and width, and all require regular irrigation. They can be used for a screen, but their distinct rounded form doesn't fit the description of a privacy screen.

If your heart is set on thujas, use them, but other drought-tolerant species will create a better screen. These plants grow together to form a solid wall of vegetation. Some examples to consider:

• Oleanders (Nerium oleander), once established can exist on winter rains, they can be sheared like a hedge, and have summer bloom in white, red and pink. (Note: Their leaves are highly toxic.)

• Photinia x fraseri has white blossoms in the spring but does not produce berries. It is evergreen and can be sheared or grown naturally.

• Pittosporum tenuifolium "Silver Sheen" has silvery-green leaves that will add contrast to the green of the above two species.

• Silverberry (Elaeagnus pungens) has varieties with gold blotches in the center of the leaves ("Maculata"), with silvery leaf margins ("Marginata") and with yellowish-white leaf margins ("Variegata") for more contrasts in leaf forms.

• "Cashmere Bouquet" shrub (Viburnum tinus) has white, flat flower heads in winter and small blue berries later.

• Strawberry tree (Arbutus unedo), although a small tree, has a "Compacta" variety that grows to about 10 feet and offers contrast. In December, it is covered with white, and some varieties have pink, bell-shaped flowers followed by red fruit in the spring. Its fruit looks like a strawberry but is not tasty. The bark of this plant has texture and good red-brown color.

Refer to the Sunset Western Garden Book or the nursery plant tags for the mature height and width of each plant. Use this information to determine spacing.

With the plants still in their containers, arrange them in your space to the design that is most pleasing to you.

Don't plant them immediately and give lots of thought to the design before you do the planting.

Small, gallon-sized plants adapt to their new site and grow quicker than larger- specimen plants, and, of course, they are less expensive.

All of these plants will thrive in late-afternoon sun.

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