This time of year, you see so many conifers—spruces and pines and firs lined up in Christmas tree lots or lashed to car roofs or covered in colored lights—that you might wonder: how will I live without them come January? You don't have to:
Above: Blue-tinged leaves are a silvery complement to other plants. Picea pungens 'Montgomery' is a dwarf blue spruce that will grow no more than ten feet tall or wide. Hardy in USDA growing zones three through eight; find your USDA Hardiness Zone on the US National Arboretum Map. Photograph by Hickory Hollow Nursery and Garden Center via Flickr. For more information, contact Hickory Hollow.
Above: A low-growing ground hugger, Juniperus squamata'Blue Star' reaches a height of 16 inches and is hardy from zones four through eight; a 4-inch-tall starter plant is $5.95 from Evergreen Plant Nursery. Photograph by Jonathan Landsman via Flickr.
Above: The bottom side of a needle on Abies koreana'Horstmann's Silberlocke' is white, which gives the Silver Korean Fir a snow-covered look even in summer. Hardy from zones five to eight, it will reach a height of 30 feet. A one-gallon pot of 'Horstmann's Silberlocke' is $35 from Singing Tree Gardens. Photograph by Megan Hansen via Flickr.
Above: White fir (Abies concolor) is native to the western US and can reach a height of 200 feet if left to its own devices (growing on the side of a mountain, say). A tiny 2-foot-tall Abies Concolor is $25 from Forest Farm. Photograph by WBLA Corky via Flickr.
Above: 'Blue Totem' is one of many varieties of blue spruce; some reach heights of 50 feet. Hardy from zones three to eight, it prefers full sun. A Picea pungens 'Blue Totem' in a one-gallon pot is $34.50 from Carters. Photograph by F.D. Richards via Flickr.