Truthfully, it is easier to lay down a thick well-overlapped layer of newspapers or corrugated cardboard over the native soil, then cover this with several inches of new screened topsoil or (if you recently won the lottery) of soil-less mix, such as pro-mix. The newspapers/cardboard will eventually rot away, but before they do, the underlying weeds and vines will be killed. In the meanwhile, whatever you put on top of the new soil (or soil-less mix) whether it is grass seed or sod or annuals and perennials in a flower bed--whatever it is will have gotten a good start with no competition from the overgrown jungle. A couple of things to watch for: MOWING: Mow or string trim the existing vegetation until it's as LOW as it will go, before you start laying. WATER:You have to frequently water ANY new planting into the new soil/soil-less mix. For the first year, the roots of the new planting will not penetrate the underlying newspapers/cardboard, so the roots will be shallow and will require more water than if they were growing in deeper soil. By the middle of the second summer, you can dial down the watering, but until then, you really do have to water more frequently. (I myself would rather water than weed, however, I live in Wisconisin, where water is not rationed). If you are making a flower bed, you can cut down somewhat on the watering by adding a thick-ish mulch on top of the new surface, but for a lawn, you cannot mulch. ENOUGH THICKNESS: For this trick to work, you need a LOT of newspapers or cardboard. You can probably get the amount you need at a recycling center, or by going around and collecting from your neighbors on recycling day. You want at least 6-8 sheets of newspapers over each spot, and at least 2-3 inches of overlap. Corrugated in a single layer is enough, but the overlap will need to be more as the cardboard is stiffer. Watering the newspaper/corrugated helps stop if from blowing away, and helps soften it to assist with conforming to the local bumpyness of the ground. But, lay soil on top asap, anyhow, because even quite wet newspaper will dry faster than you think and take flight at even a small wind. AMOUNT OF SOIL: You want to add at least 1.5 inches, and 2" are better. This is a LOT of soil, so you might want to do this in sections, a little every day. QUALITY OF THE NEW SOIL: If the new soil delivered is of low quality, you are simply trading one bad soil for another. If your local landscaper offers different grades of soil, get the one with most compost already in it. That way, even if weeds do get started, they'll more easily pull out of a loose and fluffy soil than a crusted low-organic- matter soil. Or, if you can afford soil-less mix (easier to afford for a flower bed than a lawn) you will have no weed-seed problem. TIMING: Do all this AFTER tree-seed drop next spring, or you will be pulling out a million baby maples, elms, ash trees, whatever, out of your newly delivered soil. Some weed seeds will blow in on top no matter what you do, but by waiting until after tree-seed drop, you'll cut your weeding chores substantially.

I have several of them, and I'm just pruning them now. I don't like a shorn geometric look, so I prune them a branch at a time, with plain old hand pruners. It's tedious, but I think it looks more natural. The object is to cut out the longest branches, that contain most of the previous year's growth. Yours have gone for more than a year without pruning, but the technique is the same. Stand well back, and look at each plant. Decide what shape you want it to have, and then just start cutting. Here are before and after photos. Again, I wouldn't cut them round like this, but the photos will show you what branches are removed. Look at the wall and window behind the shrub, and the bed beneath it, and you'll see how much it's size was reduced.

I agree with floral on all of the above but think there's a possibility #1 could be an evergreen azalea under considerable stress. IME, deciduous azaleas rarely have any leaves when flowers appear nor do they usually have leaves that small - this is more a case with the evergreen types. And #4 appears to be dwarf Alberta spruce, a very common landscape planting but one that often develops issues over time. And in less than full sun, which this also appears to be. And I also concur about posting on the Shrubs forum for care and/or replacement suggestions. The LD forum should be addressing more the overall aspect of design and layout rather than specific plant care and selection. But you will get better responses if you post photos of an individual plant for each request, including both a shot of the plant in its entirety and close ups of the foliage or areas of concern.

While I love the photos of natural wild gardens, I doubt your neighbors will. They do have more periods of downtime regarding bloom than you might expect, and they do look very ragged in their "off" season. We live near a natural prairie area and it is pretty for only a few short months in the year. I usually suggest ripping out huge clumpy overgrown shrubs, but I think you could leave the two at the ends. Then get rid of the short hedge and the plants flanking the porch. Consider enlarging the porch so more than one person can stand on it. Then have a landscape architect who knows their stuff to work up a plan for a blend of native species and garden perennials that can keep you in blooms over a longer span of time. When blooms fade you can count on a few strategically placed annuals to add color while the rest of the landscape is in its more dormant stage as far as blooms go. The pro should be familiar with your state's native plants that will be easier to maintain themselves. BE WARY OF INVASIVE SPECIES - I speak from experience!!!