Suggestions for hedge please.

Dear Medit Folk,
I am staying with a friend here in the Medit part of France. Inland about 25 kms, and 300 or so metres above the sea. The soil is a neutral clay and very stony. She has a border with a private alley way that at the moment only has a rather unaesthetic wire fence and would like to plant a hedge/screen. The problem is, what ? It should not be thick as this would cut out the light; privacy is not really an issue. The ground slopes steeply from east to west, and the general aspect is west. Digging large holes would be a problem, dynamite is unacceptable for obvious reasons.
I suggested non-invasive bamboo, one which will not grow too tall, but which one ? If there is indeed one that would fit the bill. And she wonders about the lack of water, it is expensive and time consuming to irrigate.
Have any of you kind and oh-so-knowledgeable folk any better suggestions that will not cost a fortune?
And another thing, having travelled from UK via France, Switzerland, Italy and back into S. France by car recently I observed that there were almost no wasps this year, in spite of all the usual attractions such as picnics, plums, windfall apples and so on ? Is this part of the boom and bust cycle or is there something more sinister at work ? I am worried for the birds which depend on them for food. Any ideas ?
TIA, Jennifer
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