Is this a current picture? Yews can grow huge, not something I ever plant right by a house. I would start by removing all the ones that obscure the porch and replace with things that stay short without torture- hostas, daylillies, etc. The ones to the left could be trained up and out as you discussed and treated as background plants with small shrubs and bedding plants in front.

Thanks, yes this is a current picture. The bushes should not have been planted so close to the house, agreed!

I will also add the house faces south and has full sun.

Do a search for cloud hedges. I'd start by doing a major cutting down of the shrubs to rejuvenate them next spring. Then let your inner artist emerge. If you don't like the results, just let them grow back.

Yews are often planted as foundation shrubs as like boxwoods, they are immensely prunable to any size you want and at virtually any time of year. I might remove some but not all...you need an evergreen presence there somewhere. Just perennials will leave nothing but bare ground for much of the year.

I have read that trimming shrubs so that the top is wider than the bottom (a V shape) is really bad for the shrub. The wider top shades the bottom, which will eventually die out.

No shutters needed on your home. It doesn't look like you have space on the 2nd floor for properly sized shutters and shutters do not belong on the picture window. Paint the front door and the storm door for a "pop" (hate that word) of color. I would remove the 2 yews by the walk, they make it look crowded. Then I would let the others grow naturally for a few seasons to see if they fill in at the bottom. What you have is a "landscaping" style from 50 years ago. Today landscaping is more natural looking and less pruned. Add some plants with color in front of/between the yews. A window box would look great but they are a lot of work and expensive to keep looking good all year round. (I have them on my home).

Undercutting the yews was unfortunately not a good idea, as littlebug said. You can prune yew down very hard. Once they start to regrow you can cut them with a hedge trimmer as a solid hedge, make them into domes or make an undulating free form, just as you wish. Yew is very amenable. It is not 'torture' to clip them.

I'd remove the ones in front of the porch and replace them with something that flowers. Even if you chose not to do this, I'd remove the ones flanking the door and path. You could move them to flank the path at the sidewalk, but be sure to plant them far enough away that they don't constrict the path.

I'm not a fan of those yew boxes. You can improve the look letting the one on the left corner grow into a tallish pyramid. Shape and size the others to provide a bit of variety.

Yes, I would remove two bushes by the walkway. I would widen visually your walkway with plants/shrubs/flowers

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I’ve had this photo saved and it immediately came to mind when I saw your photo. You’re very close to a lovely look. I like the empasis on annual plant colors that complement the house color.

I would widen visually your walkway with plants/shrubs/flowers

But it doesn't "visually" widen it. It visually narrows it.

it took you longer to type your premise.. than it took me to decide those plants had to go..

a 10 year renovation program would be just fine out back.. where you could play with them in peace and secrecy would be just fine.. they are conifers.. and they are trees.. and tree time is counted in decades.. it could easily take 3 to 5 years.. for severely pruned plants to recover to any semblance of nicety... lol.. is that a word???

since they are across the entire facade of your house.. pshaw.. remove them immediately.. and prepare for the fall planting season.. see section one at this link..

https://sites.google.com/site/tnarboretum/Home/planting-a-tree-or-shrub

as you note.. foundation plantings are planted the hide the foundation.. NOT ON THE FOUNDATION ... crikey .. and it was the thing to do back in the 50 .. 60s.. 70s... to plant little babes that were actually 20 0r 30 foot plants.. 2 feet from the basement wall.. i cant tell you how many wasted weekends i spent having to beat mom and dads back ... the year after i moved out.. dad decided they had to go.. really dad.... ive been telling you that for 20 years... [it was the same conversation with the privet across the 60 feet of back fence also] .. and btw.. he did try cutting one back.. and it looked so horrible.. that he decided to remove them all..

and of course.. went and bought more babes with huge potential.. to replace them.. lol ... but he wasnt going to be there in 20 or 30 years to worry about them.. only price mattered.. but i digress...

as to what to do.. i believe that equation should begin with how much time you want to take every season.. to garden.... and once you define that.. you can figure out what to plant...

i would surely start with the backbones.. trees.. i would come out half way to the sidewalk.. and put in two trees.. like redbuds.. it will change the entire front of your house...

not sure about the sidewalk to the road.. is that where your cars are.. do you actually use the front door for any purpose.. or do you use a side door to the driveway/garage... i would not replace.. nor enhance.. a walkway you dont really use.. nor care about.. the only thing left in that part of the equation.. would be.. where do guests park.. and do you want them to use the front door.. or the side door... if life all revolves around the side door.. then remove the sidewalk out front.. and put in one that goes over to the driveway..

ken

ps: NO on the shutters...

btw.. you are a card.. loved the title... yew cracked me up...i saw what yew did there...

ken

Thank you for all the suggestions! They were so helpful. We (mainly my husband) removed the biggie bushes flanking the steps this afternoon :) It was quite a project, but quicker than I thought it might be. This pile is from ONE of the bushes!

As we got the second bush cut out it started to rain. We are going to remove the two other yew bushes in front of the porch when it stops raining. We've realized we need to repair the parging (cement coating) on the foundation before we do anything else in front of it.

Ken I love the redbud trees suggestion! Before that idea, I had been thinking about planting one pink dogwood tree in front of the left front corner of the house. The redbud looks great though, and bet it can handle random spring frost since it's hardy up to zone 4 (we're in 5b). We have a lot of trees in the back half of our property but none anywhere near the street, and adding a few to frame the house would look good. So if we did one in each side of the yard....how big of an area would you mulch around those trees, and should we add smaller plants around the trees too? That's too funny how your dad yanked out all the yew bushes and privet once he started trimming them himself.

As far as doors & sidewalks - we use our side door off of the driveway 90% of the time, but guests park on the street and use the front door, and delivery drivers use the front door. People could walk from the street, up the driveway and onto a curved sidewalk if we move it someday.

Sounds like nobody wants the shutters back up, eh? That's cool. Now we don't have to repaint them lol. Our house was built in 1910. The vinyl shutters were added sometime much, much later.

Celery and FFPalms thank you for sharing those pictures!

Looks great, so much softer and nicer

What a great design, and you did it yourself! I am happy to hear you have found a new hobby in gardening. It brings you outside and if a plant fails, try it in another spot or buy another plant!

Please keep us updated!

debra

Thanks for the update. Your new gardens look great!

Looks great.

When you can afford it, widen the path. It will make a HUGE difference.