Beautiful house Stacey, congratulations on such a great find. I don't know anything about the evergreens...have never grown them. But I have two spirea and have pruned them, they come right back in full swing. Last fall I pruned them to dead head them and they even bloomed again.
Good luck in your new home and with whatever you decide.

Bonny

Bridal wreath spirea (spirea cantoniensis 'Vanhouttei') is best where its natural flowing, almost-fountain-like shape can be appreciated. If it's planted close to the foundation, and it IS a Vanhouttei, I would shovel-prune it or move it to an area where there was space for it.

I can't tell what it is (possibly a yew?), but whatever that big globby meatball of a shrub is on the left side of the stairs, that needs to go. Maybe if that one was gone, the possibly-a-spirea would have enough room? A photo from the other direction would be helpful, if you have one.

The shrubs on the side of the house I think just need cleaning up. They look as though they've been neglected for awhile, but I don't think they're completely out of control.

Beautiful home!

Spirea to be rejuvinatedand and keep that fountain look and a reasonable size can have up to 1/3 of the stems cut out at ground level ech year. This becomes a yearly job cause Van H. is a big boy. If you like spirea but want less maintenance, take these out and plant one of the many smaller varieties that are available.

Beautiful home--congratulations! And good for you, that you want to work with what you've got and improve it.

As much as I hate ripping out mature plantings, I agree with Deeje, that I would take out the yew (?) to the left of the front door and give the spirea(?) some room to shine. The advice on pruning the spirea above is sound. By taking out the yew, you will have an airier look to your foundation, which, I think, is more welcoming.

If you want a mix of more formal (evergreens) with the informal, you could bring a sweep of evergreens from the side of the house in a curve to the front of the large tree, with the "airier" shrubs closer to the house on their higher ground. With the slight slope that you've got (which I think is lovely, especially as I live in flat/flat Illinois), the evergreens will carry your landscape through the winter and, in spring and summer, the deciduous shrubs will show behind them. Between the deciduous shrubs and the tree, you could plant a small perennial garden that only opens up to view as you come closer to the house.

The yew can be selectively pruned to open it up and restore a more natural shape if you don't want a clipped shrub. It is one of the few evergreens that will sprout new growth from old wood inside the shrub. Admitting some light to the interior will encourage new growth.

I don't know that I'd rip everything out, as mature shrubs take a while to get that way, and add a sense of age and permanence to a planting.

Whatever you do, don't rip everything out and put in Dwarf Alberta Spruce as a replacement evergreen. They are overused to the point of being tacky, IMO.

Hi,
Thanks for all the nice comments on the house and advice given re the yew and spirea. I have not had a chance to get a pic of the other side but honestly, it mirrors the pic I posted minus the huge tree.

I definately would like to keep the spirea. I am pretty sure it is Bridal Wreath type as there was a row at the back door and I remember seeing them in bloom (so I knew what they were.) The Yew (?) actually looks good as that 'blob' in the pic...It is horribly straggley and even more overgrown now (pic is probably at least a year or two old-- compliments of our assessors office.) There is another row of the yew or something similar (but smaller) on the side of the house that is starting to brown so I am pretty sure that will come out. Any thoughts on leaving the huge spirea and then adding small new things? Will that look off balance and too odd? Although I guess I cannot control it either LOL

I promise to not replace anything w/ the Dwarf Spruce LOL. I do remember posting about whether to plant boxwood and many said it was horribly overused but I planted it and just love it so maybe I am weird that way haha.

Many thanks for the tips and encouragement to keep what we can. I will probably have some additonal questions as we get plans finalized.

Sincerely,
Stacey =)

The answer to your question is "yes". You should rip them out or keep them.

The picture of your shows a nice house and an image of a quiet well established neighborhood is conjured up by that planting. I think it goes a long way toward making that house look like a home rateher than a house.

The steps are going to become a much more dominant feature of your house if you start from scratch. Right now there ia a great deal of mass which mitigates that.

I don't think there is anything wrong with a makeover, but the whole flavor of the house that you bought will be changed. Be carefull that you do not destroy something that made you want this house.

You are bouncing an idea off of people who want to do things in the garden. By nature we (participants on this site) like to affect change and put our own brand on the landscape. You are not going to get a lot of people telling you to leave anything alone in the garden if you ask us. It is our nature to get out there and change it.

I would not expect the same response to the look of your house had you posted it with new little shrubs dotted around it and a big set of steps with a hand rail coming down the mound that it sits on. Be careful.

Wait until next spring at the earliest before doing anything major. Very much the current style around here seem to lean towards a lot of deciduous and perennial plants that look like nothing during half the year. Spirea in general does not tend to be a very attractive plant in January, but this is often the sort of thing people have to learn first hand.

Both spirea and yews can handle very hard pruning. This isn't a case where once it has gotten away from you, you can't do much to get it back.