What is a Berm, you ask?

Well, that's what we paid a lot of money for to get in our front yard. The goal was to provide a barrier from the street, without spending a ton on an ugly fence and to cut down on the large amount of grass we have to mow and water constantly. So we ended up with a mound of dirt, some bushes, a few trees, and a bunch of ivy sprigs. This is a view from across the street. The mailbox is almost as tall as the "trees".