Help me brainstorm this barrel idea.....

I think I'd go with a poly of some sort, just because it would be lighter (muslin would be heavy when wet) and wouldn't rot. I wonder if army supply places would have old parachutes laying about... hmmm.
Mind you, I believe you can treat cotton with polyurethane and make it waterproof, like they do with canvas floor rugs..

The best would be if you could put some fabric cover above the regular fence...

...or a bamboo wall

I like the idea of number 1 - but the problem also involves being in the yard and feeling very exposed. Would work for the guest room though. Again, not sure about code there. if it counts as structure with x feet of property line.

That brings up the last photo, which looks good, but I think code would prevent that in california, don't know about oregon.
Thinking though of something similar, proper distance from P/Line, made with a pitched roof like the house.. so that within the back yard, you'd see that structure's roof intermediary to the giant addition next door. Thinking the shape would be a long rectangle. Money, of course, even if it would work.

Well, given this is a temporary fix, I can see the barrels/w drainage. Wondering, we used to coat some planters with 2 coats of Henry's asphalt emulsion, which you can get by the gallon. Wouldn't that take care of any remain nasties in the barrels? I admit wondering how exactly to brush that on in the barrels.

Bamboo may still have a wind problem with the shallow roots and nothing in protection as it grows higher and higher, so I'm thinking along CJane's take, a sturdy shrub of tall and narrowish dimensions, that grows fast. And for that lacy look something that doesn't mind selective pruning or is more 'feathery' than Thuja. Or maybe one that also grows wide and could be espaliered informally. (I'm not that keen of formal espalier)

These are fast growing poplars. They are very popular up here, pardon the pun, as even in our harsher climate they just grow and grow. If you can find a tree anywhere, they are prone to shoots, which are very easily transplanted.
My brother and his wife were faced with a dilemma a few years ago. One morning they woke up to find the green space behind there house had been cleared bare, in preparation of the proposed high wire electrical stuff the province was installing. So, they scrounged around for some shoots, and bought 25 seedlings. Two years later, these scrawny things are 10 feet high.
If you can get a some maturer trees, this could be a better idea than bamboo as it's not nearly as invasive.
As I understand it, the roots are very strong and can and will probably break right through the remaining foundation, provided you add a wee bit more dirt on top of what you've got.

I built one of these in my backyard today (not in the spot I was talking about, I haven't made a decision for there yet)!

I have an old stump in my yard and I read that you could build them around stumps. Since we were doing some serious yard work I had lots of limbs and other yard debris to use. I had dug up a large section of grass so I had sod to place on top.

I'm a little worried that I didn't pack things in tightly enough but we'll see what happens when I start transferring some plants. I have some heather and ferns that need to be moved so I've got some things to start with.

We are probably digging out our front yard this year so I might hold off for some more old sod before doing anything. Maybe I'll open it up and dump in some manure and food scraps, etc. and think about waiting to plant it until next summer.

Thanks for the idea, Ceili!

I'll admit that it looks a little weird at this point