By Devin Almonte

​Juniper is a shrub that people love to hate and we see if everywhere. I too, struggle with Juniper, mainly because of what we picture in our heads when we think of Juniper. It’s a fairly easy shrub to identify with its prickly branches and various shades of green and blue hues. Because it’s so easily identifiable, we are quick to notice Juniper that is unkempt, overgrown and downright sloppy. I think of a dilapidated house no longer occupied, or a homeowner who clearly doesn’t step foot out in the garden. You can’t even see the actual house anymore because the Juniper is so monstrous. With each passing day, the Juniper works to gobble up even more of the home, creating the most unsightly landscape. It’s not a pretty sight and it doesn’t make me fall in love with Juniper. 

​So why does everyone home seem to have some type of Juniper in their landscape when we don’t really like it? Because it is very easy to grow and care for, it doesn’t really need pruning, and they tolerate adverse conditions quite well. And it’s often the go-to plant when we have no idea what else to plant. 

I want to help you like Juniper. I want to you see Juniper as more than a last resort option for your garden. Instead of hating this shrub, I want you to reconsider its purpose and usefulness.  Used well, Juniper can add tremendous visual value to your garden. It’s a great choice for your garden landscape and can be absolutely breathtaking when it's done right. The problem is when we ignore our planted Juniper all together and don't plan for its appropriate placement. This is when it becomes the unwanted focal feature on your property – unkempt, overgrown, wild, and unshapely. 

Juniper needs some TLC, the right placement, and the right role in your garden to be a successful addition to your landscape. While they do not really need pruning, I do recommend pruning. You need to love and care for your Juniper to keep it’s manicured and elegant appearance.

Juniper also works best when it’s not the star of the show. I believe it’s important that you use Juniper in a supporting role as opposed to the main role in your garden, just as you would view the supporting and main characters in a Broadway play. Juniper is great when it fulfills the role of supporting and highlighting the other beautiful flowers, plants, and shrubs in your garden. Without it, your garden may lose dimension and the main focal plants and flowers won’t come life as well they should.
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This is the beauty of the Juniper. Giving it the right amount of attention, the right placement and the right role in your garden will bring your garden to life with remarkable impact.

By Devin Almonte

Our home’s exterior landscape has a very modern, french-country feel and is filled with gorgeous English Boxwoods throughout its gardens. I love the look, feel and smell of the English boxwood. Of course, its unique scent is both equally loved and hated by admirers. For me, it’s fragrance is reminiscent of the sound and feel of those warm, northeast, summer breezes coupled with lazy days reading and relaxing on the porch with a glass of mint iced tea in hand. There’s nothing quite like it.

​This is exactly what happened to our mature, English Boxwood hedge, which used to beautifully accent our front living room windows. The disease came on quickly and spread fast, leaving our magnificent hedge looking like it had been through a California wildfire, leaving it scorched and bare without a drop of color left on its leaves. I’m devastated that its life had come to its end.
 
I have decided not to replace this hedge with another English Boxwood hedge. I don’t have the time to give it the treatment and care it deserves, which could leave it ripe and open for greater risk of disease. It’s also slow-growing, which will leave me with that same feeling I get when I’m waiting a lifetime for my toast to be ready. 

​I find that a great alternative to the English boxwood is the Manhattan Euonymus. This is my kind of shrub. Instant gratification is at the top of the list because it is super fast-growing and will fill out your space in no time. It’s brilliant, green color adds dimension and character to any garden. It’s an evergreen, so you will have colorful leaves from top to bottom year-round. As a bonus, it also sprouts beautiful tiny pink fruit during the fall months. And if you don’t have a green thumb, it’s nearly impossible to kill, even if the deer stop by for lunch from time to time. In fact, some Manhattan Euonymus owners enjoy such lunch visits and claim that frequent lunch visits by our furry friends promotes pruning and frequent pruning promotes growth. However, if you are extra worried about the deer, make sure your hedge is in a high traffic area, where deer will not want to venture and during the quieter months of winter, you can always wrap with protective garden netting.

Description:
Fast-growing evergreen with brilliant, shiny, green foliage. When pruned, tit is excellent as a hedge for more formal and neat appearance. Summer season produces flower clusters which give way to small ornamental fruit during the fall months.
​Gardener Experience:
Novice.
Sun Exposure:
Full sun best. Will also work in shaded areas with a slower rate of growth.
Size:
6-8 ft tall, 5-6 ft wide without pruning.
Water:
Weekly until established.
Soil type:
Adapatable.
Disease:
​Strong resistance to disease.

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DISCLOSURE:
All comments written above are my own opinion and thoughts as it relates to gardening.