Designing Your Landscape with Juniper Trees and Shrubs

Overview

Junipers are landscape stars thanks to diverse forms—groundcovers, windbreaks, specimens. Evergreen conifers with berry-like cones, they tolerate drought once established. Slow-growing but low-maintenance at maturity, they need far less pruning than deciduous alternatives.

Step-by-Step Design Process

Step 1: Know the Requirements

Full sun, well-drained soil, mulch for weed control, deep but infrequent watering during growing season.

Step 2: Measure and Sketch

Walk your property, measure planting areas, and draft a scaled sketch as your design template.

Step 3: Research at a Nursery

Explore sizes, costs, and types: low shrubs, tall columns, groundcovers. This informs your final plan.

Step 4: Foundation Plantings

Use low growers under windows—Andorra Compacta, Andorra, Arcadia junipers. They cover foundations without blocking views.

Step 5: Focal Points

Place tall specimens (Spiral, Skyrocket, Hetz's Columnar, Eastern Red Cedar, Hollywood, Blue Point) at front corners to frame the home and draw the eye to the entry.

Step 6: Windbreaks and Screens

Tall junipers create effective, low-maintenance barriers—no constant trimming needed.

Step 7: Groundcovers

Blue Pacific Shore, Blue Chip, Blueberry junipers suppress weeds while adding texture.

Step 8: Execute

Phase planting for budget, hire a pro, or DIY. Finalize your design and enjoy a structured, evergreen landscape.