Vines are definitely not for everybody.:) That's why I listed them last, actually.
My nest spruces seem to grow pretty evenly in all directions, and really slowly. I like the softness of them. I have one at the corner of the driveway where I need to walk by with the hose all the time. If I park too close, I can still squeeze by against the bush without cursing its existence. Plus it's tough enough that the hose rubbing against it doesn't hurt it. That one is a mature one, and it's about 4 feet high and pretty round without any pruning done to it. It took at least 10 years for it to attain that height. The ones we planted at the old house maybe 6 years ago are only about 2.5 feet tall at the moment. They get more competition from weeds and less water, though.
Cedar bushes sound nice, too. I've never had any myself.:) We have some nice little Cypress shrubs, though.
Most shrubs, at least around here, don't lose their leaves. In fact, people tend to pay extra for deciduous shrubs because they get the color changing foliage. I don't know if it would be the same in your zone, but you might not want to rule out the non-conifers if you see something else that you like.
My nest spruces seem to grow pretty evenly in all directions, and really slowly. I like the softness of them. I have one at the corner of the driveway where I need to walk by with the hose all the time. If I park too close, I can still squeeze by against the bush without cursing its existence. Plus it's tough enough that the hose rubbing against it doesn't hurt it. That one is a mature one, and it's about 4 feet high and pretty round without any pruning done to it. It took at least 10 years for it to attain that height. The ones we planted at the old house maybe 6 years ago are only about 2.5 feet tall at the moment. They get more competition from weeds and less water, though.
Cedar bushes sound nice, too. I've never had any myself.:) We have some nice little Cypress shrubs, though.
Most shrubs, at least around here, don't lose their leaves. In fact, people tend to pay extra for deciduous shrubs because they get the color changing foliage. I don't know if it would be the same in your zone, but you might not want to rule out the non-conifers if you see something else that you like.
Why can't we all just get along
--Pete
--Pete