Excellent suggestions Cindi! I'm not very fond of the boxwoods either, but I don't think I'd have luck convincing the owners to ditch them. They do effectively hide the cement foundation under the porch, but I can think of a lot of other plants I'd prefer for that use. The traditional historic use of boxwoods at old manor homes appeals to the owner. I get that, but they do verge dangerously close to "green meatballs" LOL. However I do think I could convince them to replace the blue spruces with magnolias- that would be gorgeous! And they bloom heaviest in June! The lawn space in front of the boxwoods is where I'd love to do gardens, but some ceremonies use that area (although if it weren't an option any longer, there is still plenty of usable space). The house emerging from a bed of flowers would be glorious! Perhaps some tall lilies and other flowers would detract from the shrubs, and use the dark green as a backdrop for pastel colored bloom.
