Part IV - Living Walls - Borders & Hedges: Yews and Hemlocks: I'm in the midst of trying to decide what to do with the side of

» RebeccaH_5 - I'm in the midst of trying to decide what to do with the side of

I'm in the midst of trying to decide what to do with the side of our yard; Evergreens? Deciduous? Edible landscapes? Natives? The choices are staggering and I feel overwhelmed!
I originally planned on evergreens to block the view of 2 of our neigbors houses but the choices are limited and I'm very big on the idea of creating habitat for birds (including hummingbirds). This means creating a thorny (ground) barrier to discourage visits from neighborhood cats, probably in the form of ground-cover roses along a steep bank (aka: ditch) that rolls away from the area I'm planning to plant. The side yard is about 50' long and faces south-east. The only plants to stay are a white birch which is just about in the middle of this stretch, and a mature Holly, which is at the far (easterly) end of this site. The winter winds can really get roaring and this area will get hit the hardest. I'm also limited to a maximum height of say 20' or so because of powerlines. Im in usda zone 6 or 7 I think (Western Washington). Do you have any suggestions on pleasing mix-matches for this type of site? I'd like it to be a bit "wild & woodsy". Maximum depth will be from around 6' at the easterly end, curving down to around 4' or so at the west end (near the house).

-- posted by RebeccaH_5