It will look a bit deadish if you reach in a cut a few branches right back to the main trunk, but if you shake out/trim off the dead twigs and needles in there it will look airier and you will see the structure along the lines of the big tree. Start at the back of your shrubs and see if the effect is what you like. Once you have some light and space in the thing, you should be prepared to see more trunk and stems, since each branch is not all lined with fresh needles in there. Jaro is right that what you are likely to see is that each branch will in turn branch several times, and that is what makes them dense. To get the look you want (or think you want :-)) you basically need to correct that excessive branching and restore the single main branch to a semblance of straightness with no offshoots. It's not easy and it might not in fact look that great as the branches will be crooked at best. It's a risk, if you value fitting in with the neighbours. I have an unpruned Hicks yew that is about 10 years old and it mostly has long, unbranched but fairly upright branches. But the branches get bare with age, whether they are inside a meatball or exposed. I wonder if you should instead think about keeping them sheared but in a different shape; a plinth or a chess piece or something. (OK that might be a little advanced). But get yourself a book on topiary and see what the practice looks like when taken to the level of art. I actually really like it, but rarely have the heart to snip a branch. I also really enjoy the shapes that people come up with who have the space for them; we don't just have meatballs around here but all sorts of swoopy mushrooms and whoopee cushions and such. One thing you should know is that yews are very forgiving. If you decide you hate the result of your pruning, just cut back the branch in question again and it should resprout in the following year. KarinL

John from Perry County- I'm a little closer to you in Berks county. Want to come and garden with me? I've got real problems - this guys home is georgeous! My place was beautifully landsceped in the 20's and 30's but lived in since by a mountain man who let it all hang out. Machete time. I have (had) a long row of old boxwood flanking the walk. Caused me to buy the house. It began to decline. Expert #1 - Oh, it's fine. Just put some Miracaid on it and it will come right back (no charge) Expert #2 = Miracid is the worst thing you could have put on this hedge. Your box has a fungus disease. Must be sprayed and trimmed. (charge $50.00 X 2 for spraying, 150.00 for 2 college boys to hack up my hedge) Expert #3 - There is no cure for fungus. Spraying the hedge will do nothing. Took 3 leaved to look at under the microscope. Diagnosis: Your box is dying of old age. ($80.00 for the house visit) I have gotten over the fact that the hedge is no more. Trusting myself from now on and saving some money. Still need a replacement. Don't think it would be a good idea to use box, it's a major project. I only want to do it once. You seem like you have a lot of really good ideas. What do you suggest?

Sigrid, I LOVE weeping cherries, magnolia, tulip trees, etc. I really want a smoke tree somewhere on the property, too! I'm on a corner lot (second picture in above comment is taken from the corner of the road) so there are visibility issues to contend with. Your suggestion does bring to mind that I could probably put something out in front of the planting bed that would not obstruct line-of-sight for vehicles, so I'm going to think about that! I'm planning to transplant the hosta from the flower beds and rip out the pokeweed, and then plant with a nice mix of evergreens (maybe inkberry, japanese holly) and perennials. If I put a deciduous tree out in the front of the flower bed instead of in the corner, what might be a nice choice for the corner? Just aesthetically speaking I feel like I want something taller than the other front plantings in that spot, and I probably want it to be an evergreen to decorate with lights during the holidays, and to provide some privacy from passing vehicles. I'm definitely going to put a shrub of some kind on the other side of the door. I love Annabelle hydrangeas, so that's a possibility. I also may go with an evergreen again, so it won't be bare in the winter. The square window back on the ell is my kitchen window, and it would be really nice to have some nice views of flowers or trees while I'm at the sink. The false door on the ell could also use some landscaping, but still not sure what I want to do there. What type of magnolia do you have, if you know?

Thank you again for all of the input. A couple of clarifications: 1. The stoop isn't particularly roomy. It's very wide obviously (i.e. the width of the whole house), but it is not at all deep (maybe 3 feet?) With the pillar there, I think it would be a tight fit to get between it and a table. 2. The porch gets hot full sun for the majority of the day. I don't know if any of that matters, but I thought I'd throw it out there... Thanks again to everyone who has offered input!