It’s that time of year: The rain is history, and plants everywhere are bursting into bloom. So why not do something exotic this season with your bare windowsill or that empty patch of earth? A visit to any of these nurseries—which sell far more than spider plants and daffodils—will provide all the insp­i­ration you need to get some dirt under your fingernails.

Exotic plants and palms
When Flora Grubb and Saul Nadler ditched their trailer on Guerrero Street for a 28,000-square-foot property in Bayview last May, they invited their beloved neighbor Ritual Coffee Roasters along. Meet San Francisco’s exotic-plants empire, Flora Grubb Gardens, where you’ll find vegetation (agaves, cussonia, and “Afterdark,” to name a few) that mainstream nurseries don’t carry. And if you’re in the market for a palm tree, resident palm pilot Jason Dewees can help you navigate the 50 or so varieties the shop carries. Check its website for in-house events and discussions—the booze is often free (the coffee never is), the people are nice, and the gardening tips are priceless. 1634 Jerrold Ave., S.F., 415-626-7256, floragrubb.com

Orchids
You won’t see a sign for “ePlantWorld” as you head down 92 West toward Half Moon Bay. Instead, after cruising past several green­houses, plant shops, and roadside veggie vendors, keep an eye out for the giant red “Orchids Sale” sign. Step inside the muggy greenhouse to join enthusiasts perusing two football fields’ worth of orchids, from phalaenopsis to cymbidiums, cattleyas to brassias, all available for $3–32. Jong Inn Jun, the owner of ePlantWorld, cultivates most of the flowers himself. He’s been at this location since 2006, and business is so good, he’s opening a new shop, to be called Orchidholic, at the San Francisco Flower Mart this summer. 12511 San Mateo Rd., Half Moon Bay, 650-238-8130

Organic fruits and veggies
From the street, this little slice of Eden looks like a community garden, but inside Spiral Gardens’ metal front gates, it’s more like an edible jungle. The retail nursery specializes in “useful plants”—such as vegetable seedlings, fruit trees, berry bushes, and culinary and medicinal herbs—as well as plants that nurture bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds. Almost everything is grown on-site according to strict org­anic standards, and sold at prices that are, um, dirt cheap. The proceeds support the project’s other efforts, including a community farm that supplies produce to low-income residents of nearby partments, and a produce stand at the front gate. This is gardening that’s truly good for the soul. 2850 Sacramento St., Berkeley, 510-843-1307, spiralgardens.org

Flowers and California natives
Some of the prettiest flowers in the Bay Area come from the other side of the tracks—literally—along the Richmond/San Pablo border. Annie’s Annuals & Perennials is the premier supplier of rare and heirloom ann-uals, perennials, and drought-tolerant natives to retail nurseries around the region. But for the biggest, most glorious selection, there’s nothing like a visit to the sun-splashed source. You’ll find hundreds of planting-ready varieties of poppies, sweet peas, marigolds, salvias, sunflowers, and many others in four-inch pots. Stop by the free Mother’s Day party, May 10–11, for music, munchies, face painting, and raffles. While your kids feed the chickens and play in the sand, you can spend the afternoon trying not to buy one of everything. 740 Market Ave., Richmond, 888-266-4370, anniesannuals.com

Roses and romance
Garden Valley Ranch’s 10-acre Sonoma wonderland, founded by rose fanatic Ray Reddell in 1981 and operated by the equally devoted Ron Robertson and Mark Grim since 2005, grows and supplies roses to florists, includes a full-service nursery (with more than 1,000 types of blooms), and is popular for outdoor weddings. The gardens’ 10,000 bushes are worth the $5 tour, even if you’re not in a buying—or marrying—mood. If your idea of a perfect weekend getaway is a cottage amid blossoming roses, you can rent one of those, too, complete with a claw-foot tub, gas fireplace, mini-kitchen, and Wi-Fi. Special in May: a daylong workshop on flower arranging with Carolyn Parker, author of R Is for Rose. 498 Pepper Rd., Petaluma, 707-795-0919, gardenvalley.com