Shrubbery can be used for screening eyesores, e.g., electrical boxes. Pipes are another example of how foundation plantings can function to screen out eyesores.
David Beaulieu
Photo showing how shrubs can hide pipes on house walls.
With their azaleas, yews and euonymus shrubs, these homeowners have injected variety into their foundation planting in terms of foliage interest, if not in terms of height. Everything's approximately the same height, but the azaleas provide a little fall foliage (as shown in the photo above), the yews evergreen foliage and the euonymus variegated foliage. Of course, the azaleas will also add flowers to the display, in spring.
Notice that the azalea on the right is almost getting tall enough to screen the pipes on the house wall.