Good Place to Buy Dwarf Conifers?

Hello. I'm looking to eventually plant a few dwarf conifers at the back of my garden, in front of the house. It's not a large space and, ideally, they wouldn't grow too far above my porch rail, which is about 7 feet from the ground. I haven't had much luck at the local big-box store and I'm wondering if there might be another place in the county with a better selection? Or maybe even an online store that could deliver?

Thanks in advance for any help!


Box stores and regular garden centers do not carry specialty products.  The conifers you find there, will grow TALL.

You can get specialty/unusual conifers from specialty garden centers (there is one in Jackson, NJ), but be prepared to take out a second mortgage.

Thread drift:  Conifers are BOOOORING.  Get something with color.  As an example, bush type crepe myrtles provide color from July through September (but you do have to trim them, either late fall or early spring).


After Christmas. you can usually find dwarf Albert spruce at a hefty discount (75% off) at the big box stores. I bought three last year at a Lowes, kept them in a cool place and planted them in the spring. They're doing very well. A few I bought, like, 15 years ago post-Xmas, look great and are still petite.


Thanks both! Tomcat, I agree with avoiding boring plantings. Thing is, the area is quite shady and I haven't had too much luck with colorful plantings there. But I'll certainly give it a try. The important thing other than shade tolerance was to keep the planting on the short side. 


What about yucca? It's not a bush but it's evergreen and will grow in most any conditions. It will send out a tall flower but it might not bloom in full shade and if it does, you can cut it back. And the flower is short lived anyway. There is a nice variegated yucca that would bring some brightness to a shady spot. They are usually on sale now at garden centers, like at Gro-Right in Lincoln Park. We got one there last year for Maplewood Garden Club's conservatory in Dickens Village and it was a real eye catcher. 


bigben_again said:

What about yucca? It's not a bush but it's evergreen and will grow in most any conditions. It will send out a tall flower but it might not bloom in full shade and if it does, you can cut it back. And the flower is short lived anyway. There is a nice variegated yucca that would bring some brightness to a shady spot. They are usually on sale now at garden centers, like at Gro-Right in Lincoln Park. We got one there last year for Maplewood Garden Club's conservatory in Dickens Village and it was a real eye catcher. 

 Thanks, that hits many of the parameters. I'll look into it!


Don’t forget to mention your quite shady growing situation.



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