Those two are not hard to find. Even Home Depot might have them. Here is a list of a few nurseries by me:
Strawberry Blossoms Route 23N Wayne NJ
Fairfield Gardens Route 46W Fairfield NJ
Gro-Rite Beaverbrook Road, Lincoln Park, NJ
Max is Back Route 23S Butler, NJ (little farther)

If you are willing to really travel to make an afternoon of it,
Well Sweep Herb Farm Port Murray
Atlock Farms, 545 Weston Canal Road, Somerset, NJ.(cash only) and if you go to Atlock, you might as well hit Ambleside Gardens 834 Hwy 206, Belle Mead, 908-359-8388. That last one was recommended on another post here and when I went, I found a few of the same plants that Atlock had for less money.
Rare Find Nursery Jackson, NJ

If you search nurseries on this forum, you will get a few names, including the ones I listed above. But be careful. A few favorites mentioned here have sinced closed - not many though.

There's also The Farm on Green Village Road in Green Village. (Not far from Madison)

Thanks--think I'll check out Atlock's next week (I have more on my list than the two plants mentioned!)

Home Depot got their shipment of hakone grass about 10 days ago (the one near me in Sussex County, at least). They get new stuff throughout the season, and I remember that they got their hakone grass this same time last year, so I've been keeping an eye out. They had the variegated kind and the gold kind. Can't get enough of that stuff!

The brunnera jack frost I've seen at a place on Rt. 94 across from the Dairy Queen. Their prices are high, but they have the stuff no one else seems to.

Thanks for the tip. It amazes me the plants people find at Home Depots. None of the HDs near me ever carry anything of interest--I can't imagine finding Hakone grass there! But they have plenty of sad looking impatiens, etc.,and unlabeled hydrangeas! I wonder if each HD does its own buying for its garden center???

Not all Home Depots are created equal. Different locations carry different plants.

Hi,
I hope no one minds if a garden center owner adds her 2 cents! I am an avid gardener as well and shop all over for fun. My family owns a small garden center in Bloomingdale, (Glenwild Gardens), and we are always looking for unusual perennials. We don't have either of those you are on the look out for, although I am putting them on our ordering list--I personally want the Hakone Grass as well, but you might want to try Mountain Pine Nursery, in Warwick, NY. It's right over the border by West Milford. I love promoting other places that do a good job! It might be a long drive from Essex County, but it's pretty drive to the mountains!

Fairfield Gardens had a few pots of the gold Hakone Grass way in the back farthest corner behind the building. Where did I see Jack Frost? I just did. Sorry. Maybe they have it too.
I forgot about Glenwild Gardens. I haven't been up that way in a long time. Our vet use to be around there.

you can try matterhorn nursery in spring valley, ny. it's not too far over the borner, going on rte 17 north. there's a map on site. it's a wonderfull place. and they also have more locations
http://www.matterhornnursery.com/about.php

Some well stocked nurseries in NE New Jersey:

Metropolitan Plant Exchange (branched in Fort Lee, Paramus and W.Orange)--Selection will be best in the Fort Lee store

D'Angelo Farms (Dumont)--Nice perennials and tropicals.

Karadontes (Palisades Park) Can be hit or miss here.

Home Depots (though they do differ greatly in selection and upkeep depending on the store, one in Lodi is pretty good but it's late in the season now!)

Limone's (Teaneck)

Materas (Ridgefield--Mostly larger landscaping here.

WillowRun (Cresskill)--Very nice perennial selection and not too expensive (One of my favorites for perennials.)

I've never been to Well Sweep Farm, but it gets great recommendations elsewhere, too. That's probably worth the trip.

Otherwise, I would recommmend the Cedar Grove Garden Center. It's enormous. They tend to get some good odd grasses, shrubs, succulents and herbs. If they don't have it what you're looking for, ask--they put in a new order every week. http://www.cedargrovegarden.com

Two thoughts raised by this post:

If anyone is going to Well-Sweep Farm for the first time, I (and probably other veterans!) would strongly recommend you make your first trip in the Spring (mid-to-late May is
ideal) - and you WILL be overwhelmed !

Also, any HD nursery is only as good as it's nursery
manager: some are truly knowledgable, and their selection
and general appearance reflect that - others, when a good
choice isn't available, simply put some left-over yokel from plumbing in charge of the nursery. . .and the whole
department goes right down the drain (pardon the pun!)
I learned all this when I got to know a real gardener in
charge of the nursery at a near-by HD. . .trouble is, the
better they are, the more HD management wants to move them
elsewhere (to compete haed-to-head with local garden centers), and they offer good (read: "cash") incentives to
move. So, we lost Hal after just two glorious seasons (he
actually moved across State lines, the incentives were so good) - but his advice to all of us hungry gardeners was
pretty simple: stop in at EVERY Home Depot (or Lowe's, for
that matter) you pass, even when it's not the closest or most convenient. . .that way, you may eventually stumble across one of the gems (at least for a season or two!).

Carl

There's a wholesale nursery in Woodcliff Lake called Bill Kolvek Perennials that is open to the public on Saturdays from 9-4. There are directions on their web page, it's a little tricky to find. They have some really nice stuff - I just bought Hakone grass from them as a matter of fact. And a fall blooming daylily, Autumn Prince, which blooms NOW. I love it. Well grown plants and not the usual suspects.

WW

Here is a link that might be useful: Bill Kolvek Perennials - open to the public on Saturday

This past spring I made 2 trips to Well Sweep and spent about $150 on plants.

In doing my garden clean-up over the weekend, I realized that only 2 were left, one of which is not doing well at all.

I shall not visit Well Sweep again.

In Bergen County there is Rohslers Allendale Nursery. Worth the trip, as it is full of rare plants and will also order anything you wish. You can even call in your orders.

Someone mentioned Rare Find Nursery in Jackson, NJ which is very close to Great Adventure and the Jackson Outlet stores. I just got their catalog and they have some very unusual plants. Call them for a catalog.