Can we have a good picture of existing conditions?

So, your plan is to wall it off? I don't think it's that path I'd take, but let's see what you got.

Unless they are massively large trees, $2500 seems very excessive!! I can get 6' tall Green Giant thujas for around $100 retail each, give or take. And a good sized flowering cherry for about the same price. You should be able to get the whole bunch for under $1000.

@Yardvaark Adding some pictures

@gardengal48 (PNW Z8/9) Good norways run probably 200$ for 5 ft. Then count the dirt for a 2 feet berm, mulch and labor....

I wouldn't do a hedge/screen. If you have a row of spruces, or anything, if one dies you end up with a gap. I would clean up the brush as much as feasible and then plant a mixture of native trees and shrubs across the space. If spruce and cherry do well in your area and are deer resistant, then mix them in with various other native plants that do well where you are. Where are you (generally)?

@junco East Georgia zone 8a I am in CNJ

I am not sure if you can see the depth in the picture, but most of the land with the brush is not my property (perhaps some of it is since the brush has probably moved in a little bit).

I am just looking to define my backyard and cover the crap.

Can you explain statement below ? Do you mean as a border ? What kind of shrubs are you thinking ? I appreciate the advice from everyone here ?

>> I would clean up the brush as much as feasible and then plant a mixture of native trees and shrubs across the space.

My objection to the scheme proposed by the picture in the opening statement of the thread, is that eventually, the trees would grow together and screen out a substantial portion of the distant view, which is not only attractive in and of itself, but also adds a significant depth to the view, which is a "plus" as I see it. One must like something about the forest in order to choose this kind of a location. With only minor exceptions, there is a ZOU (zone of unattractiveness) where the "floors" of the forest and yard meet. For the most part, if a screening barricade were set up, it would only need to be about 6' high in order to screen the yard from the ZOU while standing at ground level. From the deck level it might require a 12' screening barricade. (I'm guessing since I don't have a picture that shows that view.) Alternatively, screening the same area from either point of view wouldn't require any height if the forest floor were shielded with a low spreading plant such that all the debris was covered in green foliage. The obvious advantage of covering the floor instead of using a vertical screening element is that the attractive portion of the forest remains completely visible. A second probable advantage is that there are no shrubs/trees at the edge of the lawn to trim, ever. There is just a lawn to mow and the interval of mowing is enough to keep a groundcover at bay. Covering the "floor" requires that a fluid, curving line be established to signify where the lawn ends and the forest floor begins, which should be a few feet in front of the trees' feet. If there are vacant places where the lawn does not exist at its side of the line, grass would need to be established there. This scheme is predicated on getting rid of weeds (most easily by spraying with glyphosate herbicide), mulching to keep weeds down, and installing a relatively low groundcover, starting at the front edge of the bed and working one's way back, that is capable of spreading on its own as most groundcovers are and climbing over debris. The effect would be to smooth out all of the roughness that now exists. Not only without blocking any view, but enhancing what exists now.

The minor exceptions to the view looking good that I mentioned earlier, are the two trees leaning at a 45* angle. Those need to be felled.

@Yardvaark Cannot thank you enough for such a detailed post and insight. You are awesome.

some comments

>> One must like something about the forest in order to choose this kind of a location.

Absolutely, I always wanted to back and side a forest...You got it exactly right when you said the ZOU, now that I think about it, that is my problem !!!!!! because I like the forest and I also love how I see the light of the church across the forest in the winter when the leaves shed.

>>Covering the "floor" requires that a fluid, curving line be established to signify where the lawn ends and the forest floor begins, which should be a few feet in front of the trees' feet.

So you are recommending a 18 to 24 inch wide bed across the lines drawn to transition from forest to yard. Questions

1. The bed would basically be a mulch bed?

2. Any recommendation on a good ground cover that deer won’t eat?

3. I could also plant a hedge of boxwood (green) and not sure if I can find something similar in the red variety with thorns on the back of the bed to increase the vertical size of the ZOU as you call it.

forgot to add pic.

Which becomes:

Where trees are potentially close to the bed edge, you'd want to make sure to place the edge far enough away from them in the design process. (red arrows.) The distance varies with the proportions of the conditions. I would think in this situation a tree would not be closer than 6' from edge. 8' would be better. Fudge where you are forced to because the world is not perfect and no one is gonna die.