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Q.Front Yard

My front yard runs right into the concrete of our road. I'm wanting to do something like a berm, but I don't know how that would look or how to do it.

Q.Berms

In south Florida, what is a good plan for a bed on a large berm? I need suggestions for kinds of plant material.

Q.Creating a Berm With Poor Sod Below

Must I remove really poor growing sod before building a berm on top to max 14" height? Plastic will be placed on top of sod except where I'd plant small shrubs on the berm----okay to leave the sod? Tall evergreens shade the area for 3/4 of the day.

Q.Controlling Slope Drainage With a Berm?

I have trouble with rainwater flowing off a neighbor's yard down a slope onto my driveway. I would like to create one or two berms across the slope to slow the flow of the water and direct some of it towards the street. What is the best way to go about this?

Q.Planting in a pile of dirt

I have water issues with my home's foundation. But, I would like to plant near my foundation to add color. I don't want to disturb the dirt around the foundation since it had been graded with a slight slope away from house (and @5 years of compacting). My question is. . . Can I put newspaper down on the existing grass? Then put amended soil on top of the newspaper, built up in a sort of berm, sloping gradually away from the home. Then add plants to the soil? I am aware that I would have to put something at the bottom to retain soil from running off, but I don't want to create a kind of basin. Away from the house foundation, could this be a possible way to have a kind of raised flower bed without constructing a frame?

Q.Berm design

I'm interested in building a berm on our yard. I have two goals:

1. Decrease visual and noise impacts from a street that passes in front of our yard

2. Create a more interesting topography

Our yard has a gentle slope toward our neighbor, with very clayey soil. It's in Oregon, so lots of rain! We live on 1/3 acre, and there is a fair amount or room to build this.

I'm guesstimating the berm would have to be about six feet high at its peak to (hopefully) hide cars and reduce traffic noise.

So, is this doable? What are some design considerations? How do I calculate the shape to accommodate the angle of repose for the berm? I don't want to have a landslide into my neighbor's yard. . . Will I need some sort of permit? What kind of materials would I use to build it?

I realize this is a lot more than one simple question, but I'd be equally happy with just some general thoughts about this idea.

Thanks!