It turns out that there is an electric utility easement between our back fence and East West Hwy. Additionally it is apparently the city's right of way or something like that. Anyway, the issue is that we cannot personally plant anything beyond our back fence to buffer the sound of traffic and people on the sidewalk along East West Highway behind our home. We are desperate to be able to enjoy our back yard. We adopted two dogs and sadly, they are both very territorial. Noises beyond the fence encourage their barking, which just adds to the cacophony. When we purchased the home, it already had leatherleaf virburnum shrubs inside the fence (5 each on each side of the fence gate). These shrubs are currently about 5-6 feet tall, but they do not seem to have grown at all since we purchased the home and they do not seem to dampen the noise at all. If it is possible to interplant something that will work with the leatherleaf virburnums to reduce the noise and increase privacy, please let us know what plant options there are to do so. While we hate to remove any living plants, if we must do so to plant something that will more effectively reduce the noise, we will. Please let us know what options would work best in both situations.