I noticed the minis for the first time last season at some of our better garden centers (www.edelweissnursery.com) for one - unfortunately before my interest in replacing some of my blooming perennials with dwarf conifers was really piqued. Did not look for prices, but I assumed high. And are you sure this is what you're really interested in as opposed to the smaller, slower growing varieties? I agree with looking to the big boxes and their sales - since their stock changes rapidly, it's not unusual for them to carry some out of the ordinary items - possibly not the niche market minis, but certainly dwarf varieties of many of the evergreens and conifers that you're familiar with. And the prices are more apt not to break the budget. But as for the minis, I'm thinking if we have them here, they're going to be everywhere. They are tiny (looked at a mugo pine that was hardly bigger than a petunia blossom) and my biggest problem with them would be protecting them from nibbling wildlife, accidentally stepping on them, and planting them where they could actually be seen and enjoyed.

LOL, my little dementors. Thanks for your help! Yes, the landscaping here was obviously not well-researched or planned. I am not a fan of trees close to the house, and this yard is pretty evergreen-heavy. I plan on moving the yews to use as a hedge for the chain link dog run in the back yard, and was thinking of interspersing these with them as well. They are bare on the back, but the dog run needs to look good just from the side that's facing out (I don't think the pups will be offended by bare trees.) and then I could spend my money on shade perennials for the front garden, instead of buying shrubs for the fence line. Are they pretty hardy? I know when my parents moved a tree, they dug a trench around it and waited til spring to move it. I would like to just haul these out annd move them. It sounds like I won't lose out much if they dont survive the transplant, though.

Some of the miniature conifers that I have been looking at, comments welcome! Abies lasiocarpa 'DuFlon' --------------------------------------------------------- Picea abies 'Blatný' --------------------------------------------------------- Picea abies 'Brno' --------------------------------------------------------- Picea abies 'Jessy' --------------------------------------------------------- Picea glauca 'Pixie' looks like a Christmas tree for my garden gnom! --------------------------------------------------------- Pinus strobus 'Josh's Ornament' Fantastic close-up! I am particularly interested in this one! --------------------------------------------------------- Pinus sylvestris 'Bexel' --------------------------------------------------------- Abies alba 'Pygmy' --------------------------------------------------------- Picea abies 'Skyhigh WB' --------------------------------------------------------- Pinus strobus 'Greg'

Yeah, I use concrete edgers but with an irregular top surface to make it look nicer. I get the most formal look with the edgers going all around the garden bed although of course deviating from a perfect circle. A less formal look can be had with the edgers only as part of the perimeter. My best looking has a cut root flare as part of the perimeter, the cut root flare also serves as a stand for a pot for annuals in the warm season. I will certainly use such design elements (and more, e.g. small rockeries in the planting strip) around the boulder, but one vital consideration is that those design elements have to be in proportion with the boulder (i.e. those design elements have to be small for a 1 cubic yard boulder) hence miniature conifers and hence the edgers can't be too wide either or the entire aesthetics won't work. I am positive that in a practical sense, the edgers can't protect the miniature conifers from the mower or the string trimmer, i.e. I will have to literally manicure at least 1' of lawn around the whole thing even with the edgers in place. I think I have a 50-50 chance to make the whole thing look good, and that is if I can overcome my fear of rodents inside the artificial boulder, LOL Edit: I don't have any rodents in my front and backyard BTW and want to keep it that way :-)