With the first grouping natural went out the window as soon as you planted them in a straight line. This low hedge effect will probably not look "right" until you start shearing it, and keep it neat and geometric.

The grass is too big for the spot and should be relocated to where it has enough room next spring.

Our desire is for a natural yet ne[a]t look.

==>>> you have to better than that ... looking neat might not mean the same to me.. as you ... so we need to better define your goal ....

name a height.. width.. etc .. and try to define such.. so we can help guide you how to get there ...

can holly be rejuvenation pruned??? .. i dont know.. since i dont do holly.. anyone???

ken

I think we've got ourselves wanting what is not possible. We will determine the desired shrub height. If the front hollies cannot be pruned the situation is not good. Not good at all.

The seasonal grass is cut low in the winter. Once cut the ball can be dug up and reduced in size. Next years grass plant will be much smaller.

The first ones are certainly in need of shearing, in fact that is pretty much the purpose. Informal plants would be things like forsythia, english yew, etc. The natural form of japanese holly is not desirable.

Logan, is the holly in the front bed a Japanese holly?

We have decided upon a shape for the shrubs. I'll provide an example photo when possible. Thanks for the help.

It looks like japanese holly and then burford holly on the end. All would preferably be formally pruned.

I think we've got ourselves wanting what is not possible

==>>> thats what i was getting at ... BUT!!! .. you can learn a lot about pruning ... trying to get there ... no need to start over just yet ...

ken

I like it the way that it is! It doesn't look 'natural', but what garden does? If we wanted natural, we'd just let nature take over. You don't rejuvenation prune holly - it's a woody shrub more like a tree than not. You can, however, tip prune it and thin it out a bit. Do you want to keep it that size? That would be the main reason to start shearing it - otherwise you'll spend your free time pruning it to keep it looking as it does now. Be aware that it will get wider as well as taller. Play around with it, do some reading, ask others who have hedges that you like. If there is one in your neighborhood, knock on the door and ask what they are doing to maintain it. Ken's right - with gardening, most of us have learned through persistence and trial and error. You can read all you want but nothing teaches like doing (as my grandfather used to say 'good judgment comes from experience and experience comes from bad judgment'.)

Yes you can rejuvanate prune. Winterkill has forced me to cut holly trees to the ground or nearly -- from which they have risen to live another day. My question about this planting is the anomaly of planting ornamental grass with holly. That itself is not natural, which to me calls for formal treatment of the whole composition. There is a way out of this dilemma. You need to create a harmonious still life from these random elements. It is possible!

Thanks. Please elaborate.

Google the terms for more detailed descriptions, but basically 'coppicing' is cutting the entire plant down, 'rejuvenation pruning' means selectively eliminating the oldest, woodiest canes in shrubs like Forsythia, lilac, Philadelphus, etc. It's a more labor-intensive process than coppicing, but it preserves the natural shape of the plant and doesn't have a 'down time' of nasty stumps while you're waiting for it to grow back.

"Rejuvenation pruning" is usually restricted to shrubs and other woodies that have multiple stems emerging from the root crown - what are typically known as "caning" shrubs - weigela, flowering quince, forsythia, hydrangeas, lilacs, beautybush, etc. Hollies (Ilex species) generally produce a single stem (or short trunk). Shrubs (not all but many species) that have this growth habit can often be pruned back to nearly ground level and will regrow from that point. You ARE 'rejuvenating' the plant with this method but the pruning technique is different. More a case of pruning semantics than anything else :-))

Let me just add that no plant "has to be" sheared or pruned into a precise shape unless the grower's desire is to shape it into a more formalized presentation. Japanese holly (and many other holly species) are often left to just grow as they will.

Lol!! Sara just noticed that we were typing and posting at the same time.

To Sara Malone and anyone else. We like the basic way most of the shrubs and hollies look with the exception of the numerous wayward bits. We found an out document from the original landscaper (the crook) telling us to simply snipe off wayward new growth from the shrubs and hollies. Does that make sense?

It makes perfect sense and that is often the best way to go about keeping the plants looking the most natural but conforming to your requirements as well :-)

Yes I concur!

We found an out document from the original landscaper (the crook)
telling us to simply snipe off wayward new growth from the shrubs and
hollies. Does that make sense?

==>>> BUT!!!! ... there is no seed to snip it at the very edge of the canopy ... you can track it back into the plant.. and cut at any Y in the branch road ... leaving part of the Y with green leaves ...

by doing this.. you can hold back size ... thru removal of say a dozen or two branches per season ...

on some level .. what you seem to want to be avoiding .. is what we might call.. a haircut.. and other call shearing ...

i dont know what words to use.. to get you some videos on what i am suggested ....

ken

ps: rules dont vary all that much based on the actual type of plant ... many rules are general .. look at the fist drawing at link ... simply to see the difference between a haircut.. and more selective pruning ... at this point i am not saying you should do it this way .... its an evolving discussion... you might hit the VIDEOS link near the top. and watch a few ...

in my world.. you have 5 plants to cut on.. go for it.. rarely can you kill things merely thru pruning.. so try 5 different ideas.. on 5 different plants.. and see which one please you... you can always remove them if you screw them up .. lol.. been there.. done that ..

https://www.google.com/search?q=pruning+shrub+back+into+the+canopy&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjki5_u_p3PAhVo6YMKHe4ABA0Q_AUICSgC&biw=958&bih=745&dpr=0.9#imgrc=_

From the resources kindly provided by Ken we prefer the following two shapes. The key is that they not look manicured. Thank you.

Bill sounds like you are on it. And you'll soon figure out what it takes with a little trial and error. These are forgiving shrubs.

I have been working with privets (not the invasive kind) and boxwoods to create topiaries this year. So far, it has been trial and error but overall I have accomplished what I am trying to do. Just snip off the new growth, it's that simple. These shrubs aren't really meant for the informal look. It will most likely not be able to grow pyramidal without coppicing, if the shrub survives it.

Coppicing is unnecessary to obtain a pyramid. If the OP wants a pyramid, and s/he hasn't said s/he does, the shrubs in the photos can simply be shaped thus.

We thoroughly examined the shrubs and holly and decided to begin by snipping off the high bits. Looks great! Seems there are two shrubs crowded in beside the ornamental grass. We'll have to address that situation next. Thanks to everyone for your advice. Problem solved!