here's my humble abode:

{{gwi:48878}}

Prickly...zone 5...evergreen...does not look like a holly...I am guessing that they are junipers. My vote would be to remove them. You have a cute house, and right now I would say that the junipers detract from your house's appearance. A standard foundation planting will return the focus back to your house.

My suggestion would be to visit the library or book store and pick up a few books that have layouts for typical foundation plantings. Go with a design that has plenty of low growing, low maintenance, evergreen shrubs (yews, junipers...I am not sure how boxwoods, American hollies, or Japanese hollies do in your area...these may need a yearly trim to keep them low-growing). Throw in a few hardy perennials and some annuals for color and call it a day. You can probably get some basic design advice from a local nursery. If you are not up for a DIY project, or if you want something with more of a WOW factor, then don't be afraid to call in a pro.

BTW, I found the Mid-Atlantic version of this book to be very helpful:
Midwest Home Landscaping: Including Southern Canada by Roger Holmes, Greg Grant; ISBN: 1580112560

- Brent

As I often do, I agree with Brent. BTW, boxwoods will do fine in your zone and are easier to maintain than some other evergreens. If you go with boxwood, or some other dark green evergreen, you can look for lower growing blue-green junipers to add some blu-ish accents and keep the landscaping from looking flat in winter when your perennials are out of season.

The reason your junipers look like they do, it that you've made a very common mistake of trimming only the tops, rather than cutting back the lower parts to promote growth in areas that don't get as much light.

So, when you get your new landscaping in place, don't forget to buy a book that shows how to prune evergreens to keep them sharp and full looking.

Them shrubs with legs has got to go - at least I hope you'll strongly consider it.

I recommend that any plantings along the foundation be low-growing so that you can show off your attractive house. Depending on light and soil conditions, there are numerous choices for deciduous shrubs that would offer multiseason interest instead of year-round evergreen blahs (and little to no need for pruning either).

You can find some dwarf shrubs that will not need much pruning. Tear out what you've got, there's probably no salvaging it. Find a reputable nursery (a local one where they have people who help you pick plants), and look for some replacements. Now is the perfect time to rip out the old and replant. Before you select a plant, read the label or look up the plant online or in a reference book and find out it's mature size. Plan for that size when you plant and place the new shrubs. They will look a little sparse for the first two years but after that you will be glad you planned ahead for low maintenance. There are lots of books out there filled with plant descriptions that you can use as a guide, check one out from the library or peruse the local bookstore. Have fun!

Those look like they might be yews that were shaped as blocks for many years and then "thinned". That can be have a nice effect, but not in that location.

The height of that house combined with the second floor cantelever makes it visually top heavy. A foundation planting of evergreens, including blooming broaleafs such as rhododendrons, will make that house rest on the lot all year long. Then you will have addressed the house and unity in the landscape. That will free you up to add a foreground to the planting that can be a lot more colorful and/or interesting.

Annual pruning is not a major task, if it is done yearly (as opposed to the other kind of annual pruning?). Broadleaf evergreens like rhododendrons or even shrubs such as yews can be maintained at very low heights, but if let go they will become overgrown. You have to decide what effort you are willing to commit to either physically or financially before you select your plants.

My opinion is that plants that are low growing at maturity are not going to acheive the visual effects that that house needs. I am also of the opinion that three hours of pruning each year is low maintenance.

I agree with laag. A bit of work and planted in the right setting, and those shrubs would shine. They don't belong in the front of your house - at least not 4 of them in a row.

I'm no expert, but short stuff in front is wrong in my opinion. You want to keep the windows open, but htehouse needs something larger in front and probably to the side of the house. the pic may be deceiving since based on the shadow, you might have a big tree in front already?? A new pic from father away might help.

They look like junipers ... really UGLY junipers.

I'd get rid of them, increase the size of the entry steps (it's tiny!) to balance out the facade, and plant some shrubs of variable height that will stay below window level with perhaps some small flowering trees further out into the lawn.

Junipers - yews aren't prickly.

There are two questions here, I will address the first one first: dig 'em out. And then. I lived in Amsterdam a few year ago (pre Rem Koolhaus) and in certain areas of this old city the facade of buildings was retained and shored up while modern interiors were confected behind. This picture with its flat face of a house reminds me of that, there is no hint of who lives here or who lived here, as far as I can tell it is a clap board huh, board. If I had this house to work on with limited funds I would get rid of all the mutilated plants and fix the entry to the door. Nice step up place to 'set' add some depth sort of thing.