The guys came through my neighborhood this week with the hedge shears to turn every shrub — loropetalum, ligustrum, holly, camellia, whatever — into round balls.
Humans seem to love this “geometric pruning” because you see it in Europe as well as here in the states. I suppose part of the appeal is that it’s easy and quick and you don’t have to know anything about plants.
Sheared plants make sense in very formal gardens, but our gardens are much more informal with flowing lines and asymmetrical balance.