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- My neighbor’s cats under the Bridal Wreath Spirea
I’m a fan of plants doing what they do naturally. And no shrub grows by itself into a square shape. It drives me especially nuts to see people trimming spring-flowering shrubs into unattractive, generic squares. It takes away all the draping beauty of their natural shape. Even worse, many people trim them at the wrong time and ensure there will be no flowers coming out of those shrubs any time soon. One of the first things I learned when I acquired my lilac bushes was when to trim them…right after they bloom. Any earlier or later and I won’t be enjoying any flowers the next season. My advice to anyone contemplating taking a hedge trimmer to a flowering shrub: read up on it before you touch it. Or better yet, don’t touch it at all! The shrub shown in the photo above is called a Bridal Wreath or Bridal Veil Spirea, due to the draping branches and white flowers. Can you imagine trimming this into a square? Not on my watch!
Cait's Garden 
I think this should be basic training for all landscapers, too. Last year after the lilac bloomed outside my office window, I carefully pruned it for the coming year. Later in the summer the landscaper came by and trimmed it some more. So I’m not enjoying any blossoms or sweet scents this spring. Unconscionable!
You are right, landscapers are the worst offenders! I wonder if you can get it in writing that they will never mess up your lilacs without paying a penalty. A large penalty!