What did you have in mind when you removed the trees?

How heavy is the traffic along your street/ is there a need for privacy?

I can't see the creek and the slope looks pretty mild. I'd think it would be far cheaper and much prettier to get a landscaping plan than to invest in a retaining wall. I'd put in some large shrubs/small trees to the left of the house to block the view of your sheds.

Unless the creek is really a drainage ditch, I'd play that up.

@cecily 7A. We remove the trees because they were dead and leaning towards the street. It’s a dead end Street not too much traffic, but we do want to have some privacy. I was thinking to line the front with cypresses to something along those lines.

@Sigrid yes I am thinking of a way to cover up the left side with a fence or something so that it’s not all showing to the street. Originally this entire area was basically a jungle of blackberries and other trees, so we cleared it all and cut the big half dead trees from the front, opening it all up

Okay. For plant suggestions please give us your location (nearest city and state). Thanks. A blank wall of leyland cypress or green giants would be awful. I'm seeing a cluster of three spruce toward the left center and several small flowering trees toward the driveway. Maybe crabapples or cherries to relate to your orchard.

Whether you need a retaining wall is a decision for a landscape architect who walks your site.

You don't need a hedge for privacy. You just need a few well-placed trees. I think shrubs look a lot nicer than a fence.

Congrats on clearing blackberries...ugh. Privacy is more easily achieved with a screening of smaller trees and larger shrubs closer to the house.

I don't see the creek but yes, play that up and make it a winding creek with appropriate creekside plantings like a willow tree, small pines, cattails, ferns and rock, etc. I see a fruit tree blooming so some more of those like pink cherry or Chinese pistache along the street would be stunning.

Make winding trails of flagstone, gravel, tree trunk rounds, etc thru the landscape. There a lots of low growing groundcovers to mix areas with lawn areas and with raised low mounds to give depth.

A split rail decorative fence seems appropriate.

Gorgeous house btw. PNW?