Thanks for the encouraging words, Andrew. It's a certificate in landscape design. The horticulture programs are only offered at one of the community colleges in the state system, and were started by a biology professor who was an avid horticulturist and gardener about 20 or 25 years ago, if I recall correctly. It grew over the years to include a two year horticulture degree program as well as Landscape Design and Arborist certificates. He has since retired, and the program is now headed by the professor that taught my Design I and II classes. He claims that we will learn as much in this certificate program as we would in a four year program elsewhere. I don't know if that's true, but I sure hope it is. I've already completed the Woody Plants and Herbaceous Plants courses, as well as Drawing, LD I and II, and Landscaping Small Properties. I still have to take Landscape Maintenance, LD III, and Landscape Mechanics and Construction, where we will cover grading, drainage, construction techniques, irrigation, and maintaining power equipment, and will learn to use a transit and probably do a hands on project on campus. Students build various projects on campus, there's a summerhouse, benches, paver patios, greenhouse benches, all built and maintained by students. They have a small arboretum there, with a nice selection of woody plants, as well as a greenhouse. The only other program in the state is UConn's LA program, which wasn't right for me, as I'm most interested in residential design. I may suck it up and try to finish in the fall, but it's a 50 mile commute each way, and I'd have to take three classes to finish, one of them split over two evenings.

Thank you all for your suggestions. The main reason for the advice to move the bushes was due to their initial installation. We hired a professional landscaper to develop a plan and she did create an initial plan. However, after that she basically disappeared, refused to answer our phone messages, and apparently stopped working as a landscape professional for some time. In addition, the nursery that was providing the plants didn't have some of the ones the plan called for or didn't like some of her choices. Since she wasn't available, and since we had no gardening or landscape experience, we pretty much trusted the nursery to do all the plantings. Now some of plantings aren't working out in terms of color and size - some of the shrubs in particular have overpowered their area. Ironically, where we wanted large bushes to screen out our neighbors, the lilacs and cherry laurels that were planted haven't done the job. I posted pictures below to illustrate. On the left, behind the lavender, there is a variegated redtwig dogwood that is overpowering the korean spice viburnum behind it, the eryngium yuccafolium in front of it, and the echinacea beside it. We were thinking butterfly bushes might work better here. Here is the same shrub from the back. The viburnum is pressed between the redtwig dogwood and the pyracantha on the right hand side. This composition of this whole planting area seems off to us, with tall things in the front and short things behind, etc. but we are unsure what to do with it. Here is the side where we wanted a screen. You can see the neighbor's propane tank and back porch. The master gardener suggested sambucus here: Here is the sambucus, which has completely obscured the view out of this window. We love them and they are beautiful, but we would like to see the river as well: If you have any further comments, I am always opening to new ideas. Thanks!

LISTEN TO ME ... i wasted the first 5 years at my first house.. trying to save.. and deal with.. all the NIGHTMARES the prior owners left me ... and the happiest day of my life.. was the day i removed the last nightmare ... GET RID OF IT ... but with trees.. and a new house.. observe it this year.. and see if your ID is actually correct ... and then make some decisions.. there usually no real hurry with trees.. its not like this one will kill you in your sleep ... and i would NOT invest one cent in paying to have it pruned.. i would save that money for removal .... its obviously been growing like that for a decade or so..no hurry to prune off crossing branches ... so get rid of it.. sooner or later.. though i favor sooner.. say with/in 3 years.. DEPENDING on a proper ID ... ken ps: it really seems.. based on these pix.. that it adds NOTHING to the landscape of the house.. except the suggestion.. to hardcore gardeners.. that it was planted way to close to the house.. is improperly pruned, due to such.. and overly mature ...

I don't have any expert advice for you, but I just wanted to say I feel really bad for you. I can just imagine her spraying the Roundup like she was putting out a fire. Roundup and weeds are all she knows. I love my trees. I've lived with them for many years and have an emotional attachment to them. As far as dealing with her - find out what the laws are first. Then read her the riot act, calmly but assertively, and tell her what the law requires. (Maybe give her a photocopy or a phone number to call if she has questions.) Give her a deadline to make the corrections, and tell her you will take further action with an impartial third party if she does not do so. If she makes any remarks other than "I'll take care of it immediately!" then just tell her clearly that she does not understand how serious a matter this is, and that her actions are a clear-cut violation of your property rights. The longer she ignores it, and the condition of your property continues to deteriorates, the more difficult it will be for her to resolve financially. If she gives you a hard time, tell her that her attitude is unacceptable, and forces you to put the matter into the hands of a third party immediately. And follow through, of course. This approach has worked for me, and I have never had to take legal recourse, because my no-nonsense attitude gets their attention. It is also civil discourse, and there have never been left over bad feelings. Good that she is moving, but you need to think and quickly if you want her to correct the damage that has been done, that you can at this point document, before she is gone and can ignore you. Good luck. Stick up for your trees!