They wouldn't look as they do if they'd not been pruned over the years. their very shape is that of sheared hedge, not a natural growth form. Nothing wrong with that. I just wanted to disabuse you of the notion that these plants had not been pruned in the past.

Now for what to do: I'm not much of a holly guy, so will defer to someone else on that. but generally, all that is needed is a good hand pruner, to cut off the stuff that breaks the plane of whatever line you're trying to keep the stuff cut at. Which BTW is justified in this case, even if you don't like the sheared-hedge look, simply because otherwise, branches would be out into the sidewalk right of way. So probably, the shearing-style pruning will need to be continued.

And finally, it is completely normal, natural, and not a problem that leaves, twigs, and other organic debris has accumulated under the shrubs. This is not "thatch", and even so-called thatch in turf is almost always handled improperly, including by lawn guys that should know better. But in any case, if the accumulated material is bothersome to you, why not just rake some of it out occasionally and add it to the compost pile? What could be simpler? Or better still cover it ever few years with a thin layer of new mulch and don't worry about it.

Final BTW: One of the problems with sheared hedges, which this is, is that any happenstance that causes damage or inconsistency to one part affects the appearance of the whole. That is one reason why I don't like sheared hedges, except for those cases where nothing else would work. If a planting must be maintained basically right on top of the sidewalk, as this one is, then it is a justified and necessary option. But all those low spots-maybe a heavy snowload broke some limbs back when-are brought to the forefront of any viewers focus. Less formal shrub borders, where the plants are allowed to more or less grow in their natural shapes and forms, don't have this set of issues. But this is what you've got-may as well try to work with it. One final thing: When shearing hedges, the base of the plants should always be left just slightly wider than the top-just the opposite of what we see here-so that sunlight can always hit all portions of the plants, thereby keeping all parts green and growing.

if it were me .... having lived thru something like that ... let me suggest you are on the right track with removal ...

else you will have significant annual care issues with pruning ...

in my case .. i wasted 5 years doing the heavy labor... before i got smart.. and got rid of the whole nightmare ...

spend this year with them.. experiment.. see how it all works out for you ... and then reconsider what i said ...

ken

wisconsitom:

Thanks for your input. I'll start setting up a composting station in the back, as I can see I'll have plenty of material. One of the concerns I have is that since I have a corner lot, I'm pretty sure my hedges can't be too tall (< 4 ft?) and if I prune them, how intensive can I get without killing these things? Much like you said, if I kill one of them, the look is los.

ken_adrian:

I think the reason the original home owners put these up is to keep deer out. They don't mostly come into my property, but they hang around the neighbor's front lawn and walk up down the sidewalk more often than I'd like. I don't mind doing (or paying someone to do) a yearly pruning. I'm thinking I'll give it a try this year and see what happens. With a new home and a 4 month old, I'll leave new-fence expenses for another year. :)

floral_uk,

I just spoke to a neighbor, and he says the bushes haven't been touched for at least 2 years --likely longer. The person I bought the house from bought it to rent it out and lost tons of money on it and did no maintenance on the house (in or out). The previous owners are the ones that owned the house for 20+ years and apparently kept the hedges rather beautifully. I can't get the neighbor to describe to me what they looked like other than "the landscaping work was rather pretty" and that he recalls the hollies were cut down to an inch of their life every so often.

I think I'll prune them soon. I'll keep the trapezoid shape you described in mind. Thanks.

I find that really difficult to believe. If those bushes hadn't been touched for two years they'd be growing out across the sidewalk and be at least a foot taller. Unless the realtor just had it run over quickly before the sale.

Those are Ilex cornuta 'Rotunda'. Their natural shape is a wide spreading mound of impenetrable spiny leaves to about 4 to 5 ft. wide. So they have been pruned quite a bit to take on that more upright shape. No way will that hedge keep deer out. They can hop over them or go around them. But they are nice and evergreen.

Otherwise, I think your yard would look great with no hedge or wooden edging at all. It is a chore to remove and resod, but it's your call.

ha flora ... i wasnt referring to my teenhood memories .. or other such soapbox issues ...

here ... new homeowners .. or newbs to gardening ... should NOT waste time .. 'saving' problems.. for the 'history' of the house ... thats my point ...

and they should have no qualms.. of removing things that are problems .... no tree or shrub hugging ... and thereby chaining yourself to a problem ...

and though i wasted 5 years on that type of thing ... i do think OP [who stole my name btw...lol] .... should spend at least one season with them ... to see what its all about.. to make an informed decision down the line ...

and it sure doesnt hurt... if you can hire out the job ...

NEVER .... rule out removal.. as an option ... if you figure out.. its a problem ...

ken

I love hollies but this is one of my least favorite varieties, planted in one of my least favorite ways. (Such a prickly hedge along a sidewalk is positively antisocial!) It's your call, but I doubt you will miss them if you remove them.

If you decide to get rid of them, and I'm not suggesting that you do, I would hire someone for that beastly job. If not, be SURE to wear long plants, long sleeved jacket, and gloves. You can get infections from the spiny leaves.

Also called Chinese horned holly, it's my least favorite, too.

Thank you all for your help. I've decided to trim away about a foot from the sides and about two feet from the top of the hedges. They look a little brown, but hopefully they'll green up a bit in time. I'll see how they behave this year and then make a decision next year or the one after that whether to remove the bushes and fence instead.

Here's the current state:

I think your hollies are in need of an acid fertilizer. The pruning you did looks very nice, I would recommend using "Holly Tone" on them. You will get fresh green growth and they will look healthy and full. You're going to need several big bags and it will take a bit of time but it'll be worth it.