Plant with Angularity

I can't ID this plant; the above is a try at a catchy title at least. Help with either or both would be appreciated. The attractive stone border is a continuation of that behind the shaggy birch in yesterday's blip (it's no more than six meters away, also close to the sidewalk, a block or so from our house). More impressive large, I think.

Hurricane Irene is approaching up the Atlantic Coast. Northampton (Mass.) is directly in her path, and she'll be at full force here about midday tomorrow, probably reduced to a tropical storm by then (but still with up to 60 mph/100 kmph winds). We are some 90 miles west of the Atlantic coast (and about the same north of Long Island Sound). So flooding from the continuing rain and power outages are likely to be the biggest issues.