I live in northern NJ. There are shrubs on the side of the building. They
lose their leaves in the fall, but their leaves recently came back and they
growing very fast. Was wondering what type of bush this is, and what the
best time of year to prune or shear them is if the goal is to hopefully only
trim them twice per year?

I would like to trim them in such a way that they eventually wind up being 4
feet tall at the beginning of the season. Their current height is as tall
as 6.5 feet. How do I accomplish this without harming the shrubs? Can
making them shorter be done gradually? (NOTE: Getting rid of them
altogether is NOT an option, nor is lopping them off near the roots.)

Here is a link to a photo: http://mysite.verizon.net/vzeofpch/bush.jpg

Thanks,

J.