I have junipers and one spruce in my mixed borders along with a number of deer resistant deciduous shrubs. Junipers should present no problem at all.

Con: They're ugly.

Sorry to be so blunt, and I realize "ugly" is subjective but every juniper I think I've ever seen in someone's garden is at best neat but unattractive and at worst a ratty mess. Also, they can be prone to winter browning, adding to the yuck factor.

I would suggest sticking with spruces instead, such as birdnest's spruce for a low-grower, dwarf Alberta spruce for mid-height/pyramidal, but there are many varieties of beautiful spruce available.

Another good choice is yew. They hold their deep green color beautifully in the winter, some form red berries, and grow in all sorts of conditions. Many forms available (e.g. globe, pyramidal) and heights. (I love them if they are allowed to attain their natural shape but personally detest sheared yews)

Forgot to mention, inkberry hollies (Ilex glabra) are lovely, the major con being since they're a broadleaf evergreen they can be tricky to place. If you have suitable conditions, though, it's one to consider.

I think it's going to depend on the specific juniper selected. Some will be very inappropriate, as they simply grow too big or spread too widely. OTOH, Blue Star juniper is a tidy, well-behaved dwarf conifer that would suit most mixed perennial plantings. Same with Irish juniper (Juniperus conferta 'Compressa'), except it offers a narrow columnar habit. And many of the groundcover forms would make good edge of the border plants. Junipers should not be "browning out" in winter - that is the result of fungal problems (which the two above cultivars are not prone to) or of improper drainage.

Just make sure you select plantings that will be compatable - junipers do not care for excessive watering or moist soils that many perennials prefer.

One other thing to consider when using conifers in perennial beds is they tend to die out anywhere other plants lean (or flop) against them. And they are very slow to recover, if they ever do. That being said, I think evergreens are very important to borders, especially in the winter. Just give them (conifers) plenty of space.

Another conifer you might consider is Chaemaecyparis. There are many sizes and they come in beautiful colored foliages too. (Verify their hardiness in your zone. I don't know for sure.)

Japanese garden juniper (sorry, I can't remember the botanical name) is a very handsome juniper, summer and winter, not at all ugly.

Junipers, which roughly fit the definition of an evergreen perennial, will work in a mixed border but require full sun and good drainage. Some cultivars grow too large and would have to be continually pruned to keep them from overtaking their herbaceous perennial neighbors. Chamaecyparis may be a better choice as they offer many choices and colors of foliage. Taxus can take hard shearing, and also some shade, are slower growing and do not develop dead spots from being shaded out or brown out in winter.

Some people (like me) are allergic to juniper. It's not a bad allergy, just that I find working around them similar to working around roses. Without gloves, I end up with a lot of tiny, irritating scratches. For that reason alone, I don't like them, and would never put them somewhere that required a lot of attention like a perennial bed.

Boxwood would be my first choice unless the site is very exposed.

Thanks all for your suggestions. I think you are right that chamaecyparis might be a better fit. Boxwood would be great, too, but they are of course notoriously slow-growing. Yew would be nice but also a waste of time in my garden since we have many, many deer. The location is in part shade so I will have to check into the likes and dislikes of chamaecyparis. Ilex glabra would work well, I think. I am strongly considering chryptomeria and pinus koraiensis "Morris Blue" I like the look of cephalotaxus as well and they are supposed to withstand deer browsing better than taxus. I don't agree that all junipers are ugly. Used with care, they can make a great statement in a mixed border.

Marianne

i had 8 juniper trees in my garden but had to cut them down, they were too big and the brown leaves in winter were too hard to clean, i'm not sure if it was the tree or not but the leaves that fell would stop anything from growing on the soil it fell on

Why resurrect a thread that's 11 years old?

Why resurrect a thread that's 2 years old?

When i was young I worked at a wholesale nursery that had fields of junipers in one gallon pots that needed to be weeded. You can't really get through the branches and pull weeds with gloves on, so it was done bare handed. They needles are sharp and poke at you mercilessly. Many little cuts, irritated by some sap or something that, at the end of the day when you wash up, would burn. Have hated them ever since and vow to never plant one.

14 year old thread.

Discouraging people from planting junipers is timeless. :o)

I don't have a problem with 14 year old threads. :) The questions still comes up with other gardeners and often the information or opinions are the same, and/or new info and different opinions will be added!

:)

Dee