Click here to view the labeled picture.

Hope this helps.

If you cut below where there is existing foliage it’s unlikely the bare stem will rejuvenate and produce new foliage. Therefore, your most extreme cut should always leave some juniper foliage.

I’m guessing this will not lower the juniper enough for your situation. If that’s the case you might just consider removing them and replacing with a better plant selection, i.e. one that will not mature beyond the height and width you need.

In the article I’m referring to “low junipers”. This category typically does not exceed 2′ in height. Varieties such as Parsoni, San Jose, Blue Star, etc. fall into this category. Someone at a local garden center that’s knowledgeable could show you their selections that meet the “mature” size requirements you’re looking for. Alternatively you could shop anywhere (even Home Depot, Lowes), take note of the varieties they have and then look them up on the internet for accurate descriptions before purchasing.

It will rejuvenate and re-bud if you make severe cuts to re-shape it and get it back to where it belongs. Of course it will take a little patience on the part of the homeowners that have to look at it during that “rejuvenation period,” but on the other hand this “weed of a plant” responds pretty quickly.

Think about this approach too. Eunoymus Manhattan is a relatively inexpensive plan, and it grows fairly rapidly. Perhaps it makes sense to just remove those that are severely overgrown and replace them, either with new euonymus or another selection. You have to weigh the cost and involvement of your pruning campaign to rejuvenate them vs. replacing them.

As a compromise you could just remove the grass and roots, and set the flagstone on the bare earth. The bare soil would at least give a more stable setting.

There’s no arguing the fact that the market is challenging right now. There is a limited amount of work out there which means the best contractors are bidding for that work. My brother-in-law is a building contractor with an excellent reputation and it’s not unusual that he is one of ten contractors considered for a project. Crazy, right?

Whatever you do don’t deviate from “doing things right”. You’ve worked hard at establishing that reputation and you can lose it in the blink of an eye. Focus on controlling your costs (as we should always do), but be conscious of your numbers so that your proposals are as competitive as they can be, but still profitable.

The combination of your reputation and the great experiences people have with you (and your company) will always be there. This all “speaks for itself” and is one less thing you have to worry about.

Don’t hesitate to contact your existing customer base (email, letter, etc.) and put together creative offers and suggestions based on what you know about their property. These site-specific recommendations show your customers what they truly need and that you care. This is where keeping a file/notes on homeowners’ properties comes in handy. Perhaps you’ve noted existing crowded plants that should be transplanted before they damage one another. Maybe there has been a drainage issue that needs attention. No doubt you’ve noticed pruning work that made it to your list.

The work you do combined with the relationships you create are the assets that will pull you through these hard times. How you present and market yourself is certainly another part of the formula and I want to get into that more in future articles. It’s not enough that you quietly let your hard work speak for itself. There are subtle, but strategic ways to get the word out and let people know what you do, how they can benefit, and what makes you different from the rest.

Thanks for your comment, Jason. And for caring about your work.