LOL. I think some people get into gardening for something to do, and when they run out of stuff to do they then look around for things to do. 😊

I have quoted you twice today, Floral, and not in relation to shrubbery!

But it looks ridiculous with that very middle of the road house.

Oh com'on, sam_md. It wasn't THAT BAD of a movie. 😊 😊

To quote Bllly Goodnick 'When bad taste meets power tools.'

There is an entire neighborhood that features this sort of pruning. Not necessarily all meatballs - although there are plenty of them - but everything is pruned into amorpohous shapes or formal hedges rather than allowing anything to grow freely or naturally.

It is an enclave of midcentury modern homes all constructed in the 50's and of similar appearance and is governed by pretty strict CC&R's that restrict tree height (water views), landscaping and even remodelling that does not stay in MCM character. I think most residents are still using the same landscape maintenance company that has been servicing the area since the development started!! After living my entire life in the area, I certainly have not noticed any significant changes to any of the landscapes since I first saw them as a child!!

It is an old fashioned and somewhat outdated approach to landscape design and maintenance but because it is so uniform and consistent throughout, it does not look out of place. Not my choice, however!

These days the disease comment in the article would be most characteristically applicable primarily to box blight and how it is fostered by the foliage of overly dense box plants remaining damp.

Out of context "maintenance shearing" (Plant Amnesty) of informally arranged plantings occurs when there is no awareness of and interest in plant growth behavior involved beyond a desire to keep everything neat looking and contained i. e. "barbered" (Elizabeth C. Miller and no doubt others). Hence landscape maintenance contractors being hired to "mow the grass and mow the shrubs also" (me and whomever else).

Don't Shear: Why Johnny Can't Prune

https://2cudqd1csaea1sgj531jbb5o-wpengine.netdna-ssl.com/wp-content/uploads/Why-Johnny-Cant-Prune.pdf

I took this pic at a local topiary garden. I have no issue with this and consider it to be an artform. Notice the bottom is wider than the top. Light hits it equally from all sides so it does not get thin at the bottom. The professionals that tend (pamper) this shrub know what they are doing.

It's the mindless shearing of shrubs simply for the sake of shearing that I dislike. In many cases landscaping crews do the shearing on commercial properties just to make their presence known.

[nonplussed and a little scared]

Interesting article, Embothrium. Thank you for sharing it!

:)
Dee

sam_md, last pic looks like an artillery shell.

Here's the front of the house. I think they were inspired by Marge's hairstyle.

̶B̶r̶a̶t̶ ̶ Bart showed off his expertise on "the purple bush" by the drive

D'OH, somehow Homer didn't see the humor in that.

As a landscape feature, the purple bush is not great. But wow! That is an awesome cross-sectional display!

Addison yes! It looks like a science exhibit!

Well, at least they're vegetarian.

Ba-dump-tisss

This is what I'd rather see, T. cuspidata 'Nana' allowed to do what it wants to do. I call this the "untouched by human hands" look.

Aw, shucks, no more of this?