Not sure how moist your soil is. If it is really wet, I'd go to my local garden center and ask for something that has "swamp" in the name. If it is normal soil, rosemary, holly fern, and farfugium have a roundish habit, rosemary looks something like the bushes in the picture. Also depends on the sun factor, 4 hours of morning sun would probably be too much for the shade lovers. Almost anything (except plastic :) will need a little pruning from time to time. Some types of loripetalum might stay tidy, they have dwarf varieties. Likewise some kinds of the dwarf nandinas. I have a cleyera that is pretty round looking and only needs a couple of small branches pruned back every now and then. Schillings always seem to be round, they may be smaller than you want, but there may be other kinds of dwarf yaupon holly that are well behaved. Also, the saw palmetto bushes seem to stay fairly low, and grow in sun and shade and swamp....Good luck!

Thanks, Jaymo! You've been a HUGE help.

I looked up every plant you mentioned, and in doing so, I stumbled across a new one that I like: Dwarf Global Japanese Cedar.....very pretty.

I do think the Schillings Dwarf Youpon Holly is for me. I like the smaller 4' size over the 6' since these bushes will be in front of a taller bush/tree.

In Mobile County, it's an unwritten rule that you never put Saw Palmettos in the ground here -- they spread and will take over like kudzu. Dauphin Island is inundated with them and they look great in a natural setting, but I wouldn't put them in the ground in my yard.

I absolutely love the Dwarf Nandinas too -- I may put them in the backyard.

Thanks again!