Thanks for the suggestions so far. Here is a picture from google maps, as I don't have a decent camera available at the moment. The trees you see in the picture are now GONE. The power company continued to trim them and asked if they could whack them down so it was no longer a problem. That is where I want to put in a new hedge...permanent, that won't need trimmed every few years. 20 years to me for a hedge is not near long enough. I'd really like the hedge to last my time, but that is asking for too much maybe. At least 40 years. I figure a mugo pine would last a long time being a pine, but I may be wrong! Here is the link to what I was planning on - http://www.lawyernursery.com/productinfo.aspx?productSpecies=Pinus%20mugo%20'Mughus'%20-%20Slovenia%20seed%20source&categoryid=87 Crown vetch looks nice for that road ditch, not sure what you meant by attendant problems. I was thinking maybe some ground cover vines that are hardy...the type you can walk on or cut and not harm at all for zone 5. Not aware of any or where to start for that matter, just heard of them.

Three short, healthy roses in my no-spray garden are: Mlle. Cecille Brunner, Westside Road Cream Tea and "Nastarana" The bush form of Nastarana grows here to be 5 to 5 and 1/2 feet tall. Back east they sell a climbing form. It is a Noisette that an earlier vintagegardens.com catalog said that some persons believe this to be the most fragrant rose in the world. I would say "rosebush" because the entire rosebush in bloom has an amazing ability to waft its sweet rose and spice scent around the bush to several yards away. It blooms in spring, summer and autumn in my garden, you might get winter bloom further south. It bears pale pink rosebuds which open to be small white roses. It is quite disease resistant in my area, as are most Noisettes. I bought mine from vintagegardens.com "Westside Road Cream Tea" bears roses about the size of "Iceberg" but those of W.R.C.T. are more shapely and much more fragrant. W.r.c.t. is tone of the most disease resistant old garden Tea in my no-spray garden. Because it is an Old Garden Tea it has an exceptionally long bloom season, in my garden it blooms for twice as many months of the year as modern Hybrid Tea rosebushes. When mature Westside Road Cream Tea grows to be 4 and 1/2 feet tall, by nearly as wide, near San Francisco. I think it would be an excellent replacement for the much more commonly seen "Iceberg". Because it is sold on its own roots and is a Tea, it can take a few years for the bush to reach full size, and for the rose blossoms to become full sized. vintagegardens.com and roguevalleyroses.com sell this wonderful rose. for a light pink rose hedge: "Mlle Cecille Brunner" if you are in a hurry for a hedge, this is available on rootstock from hortico.com and pickeringnurseries.com.. Rootstock acts as a growth stimulant. It can easily be kept at 5 feet tall and grows to be c. 5 and 1/2 feet tall where I live if I don't prune it. It is nicknamed the "Sweetheart Rose" and has a romantic appeal. The dainty rose blossoms are shapely and fragrant. Best wishes for a beautiful hedge. Luxrosa.

Welcome, emmoutain! It sounds like with that zone that you are not in the front range. What's your elevation, soil type and how much sun does this area get? Knowing those things will narrow down your choices. I'll link the CSU factsheet for you to start with. Barb Here is a link that might be useful: Trees and shrubs for mountain areas

Yes, length is an important consideration! If a suitably long enough length, using a mix of different shrubs is not really an issue.....just kind of a scaled down version of a tapestry hedge/hedgerow, which is a common enough landscaping concept. But I am more concerned about the height and spacing. Few shrubs will grow to your desired height and then stop so you will need to be concerned about pruning frequency and how that might affect the growth habit and flowering of the shrubs you select. And the spacing of 12-18 inches is very tight - more in line for how small groundcovers are set out rather than full size shrubs. I'd visit a local garden center and see what dwarf selections are available that may appeal to you and suit your climate. And these will all need to be spaced at half their mature spread, not at some arbitrary measurement :-))