You must find out what it is, or it's going to be very hard to take care of it without any info. IF you got it from a large bunch of the same little things about 5" high with pebbles glued to the top, then 99% it's a Juniper procumbens nana, sold like burgers at McD's, with no thought whatsoever given to its survival, only its money making gimmickry. If that's what you have, where do you keep it (in, out, sun, shade, temperature, etc.)? Have you pried off the pebbles yet? You should have done it the day it came home - they may look decorative, but will keep the soil soggy and prevent you from gauging water needs (it's not a house plant and cannot be watered to some schedule regardless of soil 'wetness' or not. It does belong outdoors all year (needs the cold dormancy in winter), in full sun, and be allowed to get fairly dry before being watered again... though not like a cactus. Unfortunately they are usually sold in very cheap awful soil with no grit or perlite mixed in which would allow faster drainage, so roots don't rot from water held in the soil (the #1 reason these trees die). If the tree's getting hard and orange all over, it's (sorry) been gone for a long time, but doesn't let you know til way too late. IF it's NOT one of those junipers, describe whatever you can about it, or go to the nursery/store and find out what it is. And if most of the soil's staying wet all the time, repot with lots of grit and perlite mixed in. And let things get drier between waterings.

thanks alot for the advice Lucy, its not a juniper but a small conifer; it resembles the characteristics of a cypress & is now dark & light greens, but has lost a number of needles.I do keep it outdoors but it hasn't made any improvements;if thats helpful get back to me!

No help really - there are dozens, if not hundreds of conifers out there, and many resemble cypress in some way. Most conifers do lose a variable amount of last year's needles from the bottom (and low middle) of the trees every fall. Maybe that's all that's going on, but if it seems excessive, then I don't know what to tell you except to go to a nursery with a good experienced tree person and show it to them.