Bought house about 6 weeks ago. Was a bit neglected, so I'm trying to clean up the outside a bit. I've already cut down the dead tree that was out front, and began clearing out some of the flowerbeds.
Was wanting to get everyone's thoughts on these huge bushes next to the sidewalk and driveway. The more I've thought about it, the more I'm leaning towards just tearing them out. I feel like they take up half my driveway. Trimming them way back is also an option, but what do you guys think?
by DisastrousAd9986
37 Comments
I would get rid of the siding or the brick, one or the other. Keep the bush, add some more by the street.
I like the big Yew
Go
Always trim the bush
Trim it into a bull vs bear
It ain’t easy getting them established like that. Prune and keep. They come out easy, but take years to get back like that. Never get rid of healthy green unless its a threat to a structure.
Those are way overgrown. Whoever has been taking care of that property has been doing a pretty lazy job of it.
If you can trim them back to reasonable sizes, then, sure, keep ’em. See the street view images of this house from 2012: if you’re going to keep them, they should be the size they were back then.
Small bush, bye.
Large bush next to the garage could be saved with a good trimming.
Definitely go
Get rid of the one in front of the door. Trim the massive one. It’s not hurting anything and it looks like the view behind it isn’t great.
Bushes were trimmed in the early 90s and went away in the early 00s.
Go! They’re positioned way too close to the house and are not offering any aesthetic pleasure.
Trimming the bush will make it look bigger
Remove the one right in front of the door and keep the others . Trim back however far so you can use your driveway
You just need to prune the bushes to get them under control. Lightly now, and you can do some major work once they go dormant this winter.
Roots may be helping you out a little there with erosion.
If you remove them, find some deep-rooted natives to help instead.
Or a lot of concrete retaining walls.
You can always cut them back drastically. Best time to do this is late winter to late spring. It’s a little late in year to do it now and have any fresh growth harden up before frost. I took boxwoods down to my knee this May and they are completely bushed up and green just a lot smaller than they was
They gotta go. Definitely redo it.
Prune them into bonsai by exposing the bottom half or two thirds of the main trunks and branches. Thin the canopy to let a little bit of light through. Take breaks and come back to it. Enjoy the process. If you hate it, pull them out.
If you could trim them both by half without ending up with a mass of exposed branches I’d keep them. In addition I would plant some low growth bushes around them for additional visual interest.
Go
Trim and box that right one good. Especially away from the house.
Get more plants. They are sooo lonely right now so far away from each other. Plant some trees, bushes, perennials, ornamental grasses… Get a pro to make a plan and start doing it one step at a time.
I’ve always had an aversion to dilly bar shaped bushes. There are no square edges in nature. Keep em if ya want, just make them bushes again vs a hedge
If this was my house my first project would be landscaping the front porch down to the driveway. It’s fugly. The steps are an eyesore, unsightly tree stump…I would put my money in to that space, beautifying it, and include fully shaped bushes to save $$$.
The bush to the right, same treatment, good pruning, fill the rest of the planter with a handful of plants. Ends up being cheaper.
I would get rid of the bush by the front door and the steps. A curved brick walkway to the front door could help. Just my thoughts. It’s a beautiful home BTW
Similar to the bonsai suggestion, I’m curious how they would look limbed up in tree form. Then you can let the tops continue to grow. You clean up the base to allow more plants, but keep anchors for the house, which it needs.
(Also, if you limb them up, uplight woth low voltage landscape lighting).
That bush on the right by the garage is holding up your soil. That retaining wall is failing. Fix the wall if you rip out the bush.
Shape them
Go
The one by the front door is a hazard, as are those steps with no rail.
They got to go. Open up and you got lots of possibilities, better curb appeal and better mental health.
You have nothing else there, I’d get some plants you want going, then take whatever you want out after.
Both could be trimmed and you wouldn’t have to spend money. BUT, those are yews and if you want to keep them trimmed they will need it three times a year. Other evergreens like a Pfizer juniper will barely need annual attention.
Keep
If you trim them, the house will definitely look bigger. Just sayin’
I really dislike bushes so I say remove but maybe you like bushes 😂