Taming the junipers

 

When you are first landscaping, the little junipers in gallon pots look so neat and tidy.  Nowhere on the label does it tell you this little shrub can get 15 feet tall and 20 feet wide.  Drive through any neighborhood, and you will see junipers that  are trying to consume the houses.  

When we moved into this house, there were two grossly overgrown junipers that needed to be removed or tamed.  Being inspired by the  bonsai-looking junipers in Japanese gardens, I grabbed a saw and began.  

The first one I tackled was by the steps. It was so huge that it was growing not only into the steps but into the skirting on the house.  It was also encroaching over the walk.  It was about 4 feet square, 4 feet tall, and shaped like a big burn.  I started at the bottom, removing all the small branches first so I could feel the structure.  Then I gradually worked my way up.    As I was feeling which branches to cut, the vision  in my head was a crooked path. 

I know I made some wrong cuts, but this was a project where I had nothing to lose.  I figured if it didn't work out, I could always just cut it down. 

It took about 3 cutting sessions before I got to the point that I was happy. It is underplanted with daffodils and brunnera.

I was so happy with the result, I wanted to tackle the second, even bigger juniper.  It was  twice the size of the first one. And it was growing against the house causing mold on the siding.  I wanted the finished result to be about 5 feet tall.  Again, I trimmed away all the small branches up from the bottom and tried to make a crooked path with the  larger branches left.  It took three cutting sessions. 

I am even happier with this one. I will gradually let the top part  get fuller and will keep trimming up from the bottom until it reaches the desired height.  It is underplanted with daffodils and dwarf iris.  Now both junipers are tamed and just need trimming in the spring and fall.