Most of my Garner yard is shade, some of it deep shade and plenty of bushes and shrubs do fine but most of them are very slow growing without decent light.

Kalmia's and Rhodies can be tricky here (they prefer the mountains). There are few cultivars around town that have proven successful but only a few.

The fastest growers in full shade for me are the hybrid Calycanthus' like Hartledge Wine (or however it is spelled), and the various Iliciums.

Raleigh kinda wraps around Garner, the part below Garner is known as South Raleigh and in far south Raleigh there is a cluster of shrub/tree nurseries with very low prices - worth the drive. They are on Old Stage Road past Hwy 42. I don't remember their names but someone on this forum will know them.

broadwells and old stage nursery are the 2 john's talking about. they are straight down old stage, past 10-10, 42, and about 1/4 mi past 210. long drive (the first time) but well worth it. it's really only 15 mins from central garner- i've timed it. they sell nice sized plants for about 1/3 of what you'll pay in a nursery. take a truck or trailer- you'll need it.

consider oakleaf hydarangeas, too- after the drought. they do well, and i know broadwell's has them. actually i know noone wants to wait, but i really don't think i'd try to get anything big established right now. also consider natives- some of the viburnums, calycanthus (carolina allspice aka bubby bush), spice bush, wax myrtles, redbuds, dogwoods, etc are really nice. there was a thread in the exchanges i think that had a nice list of native shrubs and small trees that do well here. try searching. haliwa something was the poster, i believe.

I live in Garner and know exactly where you're talking about. I've been there several times. Broadwells on a Saturday is kinda like trying to get tickets for the Duke/Carolina game. They've got one guy standing up there marking something down on a ticket, has a fistful of cash, and barkin' at 2 or 3 other workers. Pure pandemonium, in a comical sense.

Thanks for the suggestions. I'm not looking for any trees at the moment. I primarily need natural privacy fencing that will grow decently in dappled sun as I said above, and want it also to be interesting and maybe colorfil if possible.

BTW, anyone familiar with the Hinoki False Cypress for our area? This tree could give me some much needed privacy quick.

Are there websites for Old Stage Nursery or Broadwells? I can't find them.

no- and once you go down there you'll understand why that question is almost laughable. they are run by good old country boy southerners who've probably not met computers, let alone websites. :) there's like 2 people in each nursery speak english and the rest are hispanic help. coy broadwell owns broadwell's, and his nephew owns old stage. they are competitors, but not so much in spirit. broadwell's is a bit cheaper, with more common things, and old stage has more of the trendier stuff. i always ck broadwell's first and if they don't carry it, ck old stage. the trick is asking the one guy/lady who speaks english (and who'll have the money in hand) where to go in the fields to get what you want. last i was down, it was strictly cash or check only. jimtnc wasn't kidding when he said it's mayhem. but it's worth the trip- it's just a lot different than what you're used to thinking of for nurseries. they are wholesale, used by the trade, though they are open for retail as well. it's just that they're more geared for wholesale. they are both closed on sundays, and open sat morns, weekdays til 5 or so in winter and i think 6 in summer but don't quote me on that.

Thanks. Wish they did.

yeah, it'd be nice, but they barely answer phones, let alone websites. you just have to go check them out sometimes. it really is worth the trip. :)

Ya know, the more I think about it the more sensible thing for me to do is to wait until this water restriction thing loosens up.

That would be maddening for me to spend a bunch of money on new landscape trees and shrubs to have them die on the stalk from lack of water. Nahhh, think I'll just wait...and I'm really not the prudent type. ;)