Your photo didn't post. Fuzzy buds and white flowers could be magnolia or Viburnum.

under the box you type in.. is a PHOTO button .. upload direct from your hard drive

ken

Magnolia. Could be M. stellata.

Yes, looks like a magnolia, Magnolia stellata. The bud structure is correct for that species...

Shearing into unnatural tight shape should be discontinued as it is producing a hedged appearance not in keeping with the shrub's placement as a specimen plant - and a percentage of the flower buds are probably being prevented from forming. Otherwise when allowed to develop naturally this kind can reach a stage where it covers itself with flowers.

You are trying to force a tree-like shrub to be a rather squat dome, with predictable results. If you already think it's too big maybe you need to take it out and plant something else there - star magnolias grow a lot bigger than this one is now.

A good proportion is shrubs being 2 1/2 times the height a bed is wide at the point the shrubs are planted (beds often have informal shapes that vary in width at different points; for the whole to look cohesive shorter plants should be used in the narrower parts and taller plants put in the wider sections).

So if the bed there is 3' deep then a shrub about 7 1/2' high is called for. Many people might even plant an umbrella shaped tree in that spot to form a canopy over the terrace - but the existing bed is really too small for such a combination to look in proportion.

It has room to go up. Architecturally, it could be a real fine specimen. Prune it as if it were a small, thin tree with character. You'll lose some blossoms, but it's not as though they're a cash crop. Usually people sacrifice form for blooms. For an up front entryway plant, form is way more important than temporary blooms.

Google Niwaki.

Mike