What Shrubs and Trees to create light screen at boundary

dave.johnstonKfs5ERrQ

Hi, the bottom of our garden overlooks a field.  We have a  basic barbwire fence between.   The view is lovely, though our house is very close to this boundary and when the field is being worked in, we have very little privacy (not great when kids are playing in the paddling pool during the summer, etc).

If you look at the photo you can see the border (as well as a ton of dirt that was dumped there by the previous owners).  I would like to level out the dirt and create a slightly raised border between the garden grass and the boundary.   I was thinking Lavender in the front of the border with ornamental grasses throughout.   
What I'm not sure is what to plant at the back.  I didn't want a formal hedge, but ideally shrubs that would grow and spread to give some privacy - 5-6 foot, though I think I'd try and trim them a little lower in the middle.  

Can anyone recommend any shrubs or trees that grow quickly and spread?  I'm not sure if I should plant a solid line of the same type, or have a mixture.
Any ideas would be much appricated.

Loxley

I would plant a traditional native hedge I think. Then in front, I like your idea of ornamental grasses and perennials - some taller than the hedge, and some lower, would be nice. Probably leave a gap between the hedge and the border (e.g. a grass or gravel path) so you can get around to maintain it.

Loxley

Oudolf Field at Hauser and Wirth, Bruton: 



LUCKY YOU having that wonderful outlook by the way!

rachelQrtJHBjb

If you avoid blackthorn (Prunus spinosa) in the native mix you should eliminate the problem with suckering and ingress into the garden. 

bertrand-mabel

One everygreen shrub that we planted some years ago....Azara serrata...is evergreen and flowers early spring, small flowers but scented. It is planted near an elder which we use for elder flower and berry wine and then prune it right back every few years. Another lovely winter shrub is the winter box (Sarcococa) Again every green and the fragrant in the winter is fabulous and the birds love it to hide in. Easily pruned back.

dave.johnstonKfs5ERrQ

Loxley said:

Oudolf Field at Hauser and Wirth, Bruton: 



LUCKY YOU having that wonderful outlook by the way!

I really like this photo.  I'd love to do something like that.  The problem is the site is a triangle, so to the left of my photo the house is quite close to the boundary, so I don't have the same depth.  But I think I could do a narrow hedge near the house and then create the depth like above

dave.johnstonKfs5ERrQ

Thanks for the tips/ideas.   Hopefully in 6months I'll be back with a picture of it all completed.