I like your idea of putting lower stuff in fromt of them so they don't seem so overwhelming. I had a similar overgrown problem. We had a giant meatball yew in the front when we moved in. I loved it because of the privacy it gave the front porch, but it was this giant round ball. One year we had a couple for dinner in the middle of January. He worked for a landscaper that specialized in rejuvinating old existing landscapes. He brought his scrap book, and he and I bored everyone else to tears going over it. I asked if he could give me a few tips on the giant ball-bush. Should it stay, was it salvageable? He said well, I just happended to bring my pruning tools with me. So we went out in the dark in 20 degree weather and he pruned away. Hyperventilating because he was so excited by the challange. The result was all the lower green stuff removed, exposing these neat twisting branches with green at the top which still gave me privacy. I love it. May not be everybody's cup of tea, but works for me. So if you do decide they are too too much, try trimming a few of them and see if you like the result before you yank them completely.

I've seen azaleas pruned into a tree form as was the yews described above. That would not be my first choice, but it is a choice.

Here's a link to some good suggestions for pruning azaleas. You don't want to prune them between now and next spring when they bloom unless you want to cut off next year's blooms. If you decide to cut them to the ground, cutting just after bloom will coincide with the time when they're putting on new growth.

Pruning Azaleas

Small trees near the corners: traditionally dogwoods or redbuds -- even twiggy little seedlings of these will grow up fast. Certain Camellia sasanquas grow tall and prune up well as small trees and give late fall into winter color. Hydrangeas around the corner in shady areas would add summer color.

Frankie:

Don't be afraid to get in there and cut back your azaleas pretty hard. It is getting a bit late in the year to prune shrubs, so you might as well wait until after they have bloomed next spring. I have a pretty aggressive azalea outside my kitchen window and every year or two I cut it back by about a foot or more. In recent years I have learned to put the hedge trimmers down and to reach in and cut out branches with my hand pruners. The foliage looks a bit sparse for a couple weeks but they rebound quickly. If you keep the growth open, then there will be plenty of green leaves inside the plant. I would suggest a two or three year plan to bring your shrubs in check.

Azaleas are not my favorite plants (they can be a bit gaudy when in bloom, they look messy after blooming, they are rather boring during the summer and most don't stay very green during the winter), but they have enough positive qualities to motivate me to add some more to my landscape in recent years. If you really don't like them or they are not the right plant for the spot then get rid of them, but it sounds like you just need Andrew to stop by and prune them once a year for you.

- Brent

Those are good thoughts; thanks. I have been pruning 4 foot or longer branches from deep in the shrub.That's what I mean about the issues with controlling the height--these babies can grow several feet long shoots in a year.