You are limited to what you can select by virtue of your location and zone. Evergreen in mountainous CO is going to mean conifers. There are a good number of dwarf conifers or those that grow slowly enough not to overwhelm your size requirements any time soon. But it is also important to remember that the vast majority of these kind of shrubs will not take kindly to the routine shearing or pruning Ken mentioned above. A mixed shrub border rather than a defined 'hedge' maybe what you need - an assortment of both deciduous and whatever appropriately sized evergreen shrubs will work for your climate. In other countries, these are often referred to as 'hedgerows' and while typically grown on a much larger scale, the same concept applies. The mix of plant material can offer flowers, fruits or berries, bark effect, fall foliage color and nesting and wildlife habitat. I would always consider including a few native plants into the mix - they are location and climate adapted and usually attractive to local wildlife. Here is a link that might be useful: native shrubs

NHBABS--thank you for your reply. I have read about this issue with the "hybrid willow" attacking water lines/piping--this is a huge concern. We plan on possibly listing the house next year or sooner; thus requiring a pretty quick solution (vs a tree/shrub that will take several years to grow to a proper hedge). To address your questions... -privacy is not an issue as we are set back on 100 acres. We have looked into painting the chain link green or black but it still lacks any charm. We will however paint it green before adding a hedge so the steel doesnt "stick out". -The gate is around 4ft tall; I would like 5-6 feet to cover the fence and add some wow factor. I would definitely be willing to prune it. -i chose willow bc i read so much about the rapid growth. i would be willing to explore any option that is affordable and will provide results in 1yrs time. Unfortunately for me, im a city girl who doesnt know much about the gardening or the options avail to me. -ive seen picture of evergreens that make amazing hedges. im concerned about the rate of growth. How long would it take to create a 5ft hedge using evergreens? -I dont know much about vines but am concerned that it wont provide uniform coverage and the gate will still show. This is something we do plan to attempt along with some wisteria to add some charm to the chain link around our tennis court (which needs a lot of work as well--but thats another can of worms). -we plan on planting outside the fence. -I hardly ever see deer on the property...plenty of turkeys, foxes...a bear now and then but no deer. -i like the bamboo in the photo but i think too much of it wont add anything visually--the pool is very large, approx 240' in diameter. I also looked into snow fencing which you often see in beach areas. im concerned that neither will hold up. plus with the number of properties lingering on the market in the area, i really want to do something that adds more sales appeal and doesnt "look" like a quick fix. We looked into changing it to a farm style wood fence but with removing the steel posts and adding new posts and wood fencing along with dealing with town approvals, the cost and hassle deterred us. Im attaching pictures of "hybrid willow" that i find appealing, if you could help me identify the proper name and a nursery in the area that sells it, it would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance!!

The best method of controlling unwanted plant growth in that large am area is to till the soil and then, once the soil has been amended, lay sod which though more expensive would provide a quicker cover then seeding would. Covering the area with either newspaper or plastic (not a good idea) will take several weeks to work taking the yard out of use for the whole time.

In front of my house there is a larger triangular area with planted shrubs, flowers, etc. A walkway runs through the top the triangle and beyond the planted area (away from the house) is our front lawn. I'd like to remove the plants, expand the lawn a few feet away from the house, and plant hedges next to the house. The over all goal is to have a bigger lawn and less maintenance overall (weeding, mulching, trimming, editing, etc) Could someone give me a brief over view of what needs to done, tools/equipment needed, etc. I have no experience whatsoever with any of this. A few questions: 1. After removing the shrubs, how do I prepare the soil? Do I need a rototiller or can I simply shovel the area? I'd like to use basic tools if possible and not have to rent large equipment. 2. Will old stuff (weeds. shrubs, etc) pop up while trying to establish this new section of my lawn? If so, how do I prevent this. 3. The planted area is raised a few inches. How do I best go about removing, soil, evening this out, keeping it level? Any tips appreciated. Thanks, Mike