I don't care for that look. They inevitably develop brown patches and then you're left with bare spots.

What zone are you in and what's the light exposure for the front of your house?

Don't give up on your rhodies yet. They may still come back and they have the advantages of being evergreen and more appropriate for your house. Perhaps once they're shaped up you'll like them better.

We are in New England, and the front yard faces west- gets hot sun in the afternoon.

I absolutely detest spiral cut trees in home landscaping. JMO.

I think spirals are a bit modern for a classic 50's cape. I love boxwoods, but they smell a bit:( or just classic round trimmed evergreens and they seem a bit more fitting of your home.

I'm in northern New England and my rhodies are just now showing new growth,and they weren't pruned back as severely as yours.

If you decide to get rid of them, look for something more appropriate to the style of your home than the spiral evergreens, which are a little too fussy for a Cape Cod. Perhaps untrimmed or lightly trimmed evergreens instead. Or a cottage garden border, if you're a glutton for punishment! Of course, the latter wouldn't give you much interest in winter or early spring.

Here's a link with some suggestions.

Here is a link that might be useful: landscape choices for a Cape Cod

Graywings, natal, all anti-spirals- thanks for your responses, they are what I need to hear. I need to decide, soon, whether this is just a fad I am going through ( leaving me with overgrown and misshapen evergreens in 10 years), or whether I really want to take this bold step!
You can probably tell I have some misgivings, but I occasionally pass by a house that is similar to mine- Cape Codder, white siding, black shutters, black door, green non-nondescript shrubbery. They have two twirly trees planted in their border, and it's a nice counterpoint to all the traditionalism. The effect is really charming, and I've always admired that house. The apparent death of my rhodies gives me a chance to maybe do the same thing.
The rhodies may still come back? Yech, I was relieved to see stumps this spring. Never liked them.

If you like twirly evergreens, you get twirly evergreens. After all you are the one who will be looking at it every day, get what you enjoy.

I had one at our last house for four years. It was a sculpted alberta spruce, they also can trim them from junipers. I like the spruce better, because the needles are not as stiff and prickly. I would go out there with a pair of my pruning scissors twice a year and trim it back into shape. It is a little time consuming, but worth it. That was eleven years ago.

I've worked for a couple of garden centers over the years and what I came away with, is that landscaping is a form of art and art is in the eye of the beholder. As long as you can meet the proper light and watering requirements(and of course proper planting zone) its all good. Afternoon sun sounds good. Go for what you enjoy.

We had a overgrown rhodie next to the front door - I cut it down and three years later it was huge again. Shrubs that want to be big are a lot of work to keep small - besides the rhodie, there were two mountain laurels, one andromeda, and five azaleas, none of which was satisfied being less than six feet tall.

If it starts budding out you can cut it closer to the ground and paint the stump with herbicide - that'll show it who's boss.

You might think about mounding perennials like hosta or hellebore.

Can you post a photo?

Spiral cut evergreens were a fad about 30 years ago....can't believe anyone is still considering them again.
If your landscaper told you that your rhodos would come back after being cut to the ground....well that tells you what he knows, doesn't it.
Think about what you want....flowering shrubs? Evergreen to provide interest in the winter? Formal shape? or more informal?
Then get thee over to the landscaping forum and cross post on shrubbery and perhaps even trees and see what all those knowlegable people say.
Linda C

Spiral cut evergreens -- urgh. They can look fantastic...if they are part of a topiary garden. But on their own, not so much.

I'm a big fan of green, non-descript shrubbery, boxwood in particular. But like mtnrdredux says, photos would help us with our suggestions.

I just love Indian Hawthorne. You can get dwarf varieties that don't grow too large. They have white flowers in the spring and deep blue berries in winter... both are lovely with the nice green leaves. There is also a variety with pale pink flowers. IMO it is the Perfect Shrub.

Someone mentioned that boxwoods "smell a bit." I read that in amazement as the smell of boxwoods is like a whiff of heaven to me--- I guess it is all what one is used to and what our nose knew growing up :-) Unless you are prepared to give some attention to boxwoods I don't recommend them, though. They can be super temperamental... ask me how I know...

Heavily pruned shrubbery of any kind is more maintenance than those that are left to grow into their natural form. Spirals are in that category. If you want the spiral shape to be apparent, you'll have to do more than prune them twice a year. 4-5 times a year is more like it.

I intensely dislike any but the most whimsical topiary forms. A spiral is an extremely formal shape and not at all whimsical. If you want something to suit your Cape, then do something like a boxwood rabbit or pig. You can buy the wire frames for a lot of interesting shapes. MUCH more interesting and cottagey than a spiral.

We had a previous home that had spiral evergreens and mine must have grown faster than decorcrzy because I had to prune more often than that to maintain the shape. It cured me of having them again.

However, regarding boxwood, it's one of my favorites because it's so low maintenance. We have (for a few more days anyway--since we're moving) true dwarf boxwoods that we've had for 7 years and never had to prune them. They just seem to grow pretty much into round balls and max is about 2 ft tall I think. Ours are spaced far enough apart that they aren't intended to be a hedge, and I get lots of compliments on our landscaping. We have other evergreens mixed with them, but I'm drawing a blank on the name of the other ones. Our truedwarf boxwood also seem to have no scent, so perhaps that's only with certain varieties that smell bad.

"We are in New England, and the front yard faces west- gets hot sun in the afternoon."

I'm surprised the rhodies even survived in the hot sun! Hostas or Hellebores won't do so good in that siting (someone suggested them above)

I would search for full sun shrubs and perennials and go with what you love as others have suggested.

Dwarf shrubs may work better as they do not mature to that "overgrown" size and may serve you better in the long run. Daylillies are a favorite perennial of many and when not in bloom have a nice mounded strappy foliage.

I'm echoing what decorcrzy said in her post. I love dwarf Alberta spruce. You can shape or not. Very soft and lovely. You could combine with some easy grow shrub rose bushes, for color, and have a low maintenance garden.

Wow, that giant bunny would sure freak out the neighbors!

For color, one corner is planted in shrub roses and day lilies, the other has azaleas and a flowering crab-apple, and I love to keep a couple flowering plants in pots on the front porch. The rhododendrons were so overgrown I haven't been able to do that the past few years. For the foundation border, I think I'll keep it green- I'm leaning towards the suggestion of dwarf Alberta spruce. Thanks, all!

I had spiral evergreens they had a soft feel to them. I LOVED THEM. THey are high maintenance - but, I liked the formal look as my house was very formal looking.
In PA they are still widely used. I plan on putting them on either side of my front window at my new house.
I just like them!!