The fantastic garden centers on the outskirts of Lawrence can be a gold mine for the green thumbs among us. Most area gardeners are aware of the terrific nurseries within the city limits, all of which have knowledgeable staffs and a great selection of flora.

But I thought it might be interesting to get in the car, roll down the windows, hit the open road and discover what lies just beyond our own backyard.

I logged more than 100 miles traveling to Prairie Star Nursery, Vinland Valley Nursery, Clearfield Farms, Enright Gardens, Hamill’s Country Gardens and The Henrys’ Plant Farm. In the passenger seat was a trusty farm guide map, but I still took plenty of wrong turns and, in some cases, I never did find the nursery I was looking for.

What I did find were nursery owners who cater to very specific niches. So if you’re looking for an unusual perennial, pre-made hanging baskets, colorful pots or annuals as far as the eye can see, this guide should be handy.

Clearfield Farms

My first stop was Clearfield Farms. The drive is paved most of the way, but the turn from the pavement to the gravel road isn’t clearly marked with a sign, so take a good map or clear directions.

The Henrys' Plant Farm, near Stull, not only has a lot of plants and shrubs but also an array of animals in a petting zoo. Last weekend, Cole Mondi, 3, left, Kaleb Mondi, 5, and little brother Chase Mondi, 1, of Lawrence, pet a hog as their parents browsed the nursery. Nursery co-owner Marcia Henry walks past one of the greenhouses in the background.

A sign right at the entrance reads “Clearfield Farms – Perennials & Herbs.” The scene is picturesque, with a small, old barn as the retail space that holds interesting sculptures and ornate pots. The accessories are on the pricey end but are not at all pedestrian, and you certainly won’t see them in your neighbor’s yard.

Jess and Sammy, the two nursery dogs, will come right out and greet you. Sammy is generally wet, having recently taken a dip in the small pond that separates the main house, where owners Barb and Larry Limberg live, from the nursery.

The real reason to come to Clearfield Farms is the unique plants Larry has chosen and the wide array of certain flora to which he is attracted.

“We started the farm because I would get frustrated shopping for plants,” he says. “Every place I’d go would have the same selection, so I would turn to the garden catalogs, which have great varieties, but when you receive them the plants are so small. Why, it would take 20 years for it to grow into anything spectacular.

“There is a very high correlation with what we sell and what I love.”

At Clearfield Farms, you will find 33 different varieties of lilac in 5- to 7-gallon pots, 18 types of vibernum, 50 species of clematis, four kinds of hellebores, 22 varieties of basil plants and a multitude of hydrangeas. What you won’t find is a single hosta or spirea.

A 7-gallon lilac will set you back $35, and most 1-gallon perennials are $7.99. Although the cost is a bit higher than at other locations, keep in mind that most places don’t carry many of these delightful finds. So if you crave the unusual, Clearfield Farms is a must.

Enright Gardens

Drive south on the paved road from Clearfield Farms, jog east on a gravel road and pass the stop sign, and you’ll see Enright Gardens at the crest of the hill. Once again, the main paved road does not have a sign, so be on your toes and have a good map.

Once you reach the top of the hill, you’ll know you’ve arrived by the vastness of the operation. Most of the buildings are barn red with white trim, except for the stunning, well-lighted, glass greenhouse. Enright is huge, boasting 17 greenhouses and a fleet of giant flatbed trailers that display many of their annuals. When I was there, I saw no less than 20 employees busily filling trays with seeds or re-potting plants.

Pam Hamill, owner of Hamill's Country Garden, located on U.S. Highway 59 just south of Baldwin Junction, looks at a kalanchoe in her greenhouse.

Sue and Steve Enright own the gardens. Both came from farming backgrounds, and in fact Sue’s family owned a nursery when she was growing up.

Enright doesn’t have much in the way of unique plants or large shrubs and trees, but they stock plenty of tried-and-true annuals and perennials. When you walk into the massive greenhouse, a living arbor of impatiens is beginning to fatten, the smell of fresh soil fills the air, and Teddy, the mammoth Great Pyrenees dog, greets you with his tongue wagging.

The Enrights grow and sell wholesale and retail, which is one of the reasons their prices are so reasonable. A 5-inch perennial runs anywhere from $7 to $11, and that’s as expensive as it gets.

Hamill’s Country Gardens

Posted on U.S. Highway 59 just south of Baldwin Junction is a sign for Hamill’s Country Gardens. Getting there is as easy as heading west at the sign.

Pam and Greg Hamill own and run this smaller-sized nursery. Cats scurry in and out of a loose-board entry in the large barn, pouncing on one another and sunning in the April glow. The greenhouse looks old-fashioned, with a mismatch of materials used to construct it or repair it throughout.

Before I can enter the greenhouse, I’m drawn to a magnificent selection of brightly colored pots, birdbaths and saucers. The pots are glazed in lime green, chartreuse, lemon yellow, sky blue and plum in myriad shapes. I’m immediately upset with myself because I know I must purchase some, even though I made a vow not to buy anything on my nursery tour. I leave with a back seat full of a rainbow of pots.

Pam Hamill takes pride in her ability to put together fabulous container plantings.

“It began in my mother’s clothing store with color, form and texture,” she says. “Mixing plants is very similar, only you are working with a living, changing medium.”

While Hamill’s Country Gardens doesn’t have the largest selection around, Pam is ready to assist with finding the correct plants for gardens and pots. Prices range from a 3 1/2-inch perennial for $3.39, 1-gallon perennials for $8 to $10 and 4-gallon roses for $15.

Vinland Valley Nursery

I must admit, I shop at Vinland Valley quite frequently, mostly because it’s large enough that I can find whatever I need. The prices are generally competitive because the owners cut out the middle man by growing and selling everything on site. Sometimes it’s a little difficult to find help, but that’s understandable with such a large, family-run nursery.

Vinland Valley has the “bones” that every garden needs: conifers, trees, shrubs, perennials, vines in 25-gallon pots down to 4-pack annuals. A 1-gallon perennial runs about $7.95, a 4-inch perennial is $3.29, and annuals range from $1.95 to $3.95.

This is a working nursery that’s busy growing plants and doesn’t fool around much with the retail end. The barn is big and contains a few pots and plastic outdoor rugs, but for the most part, this is a place to buy plants.

“I think we have the widest selection of all annuals, perennials, trees and shrubs of anyone else around,” says Doug Davison, Vinland Valley owner.

I recommend sturdy shoes and a big pull cart for all the goodies you’ll find as you meander through the 13 or so greenhouses at Vinland Valley.

Prairie Star Nursery

Bart and Margit Hall own Prairie Star Nursery, one of the smaller nurseries, tucked east of Lawrence off Edgerton Road. Again there’s no sign, so take a map and keep your eyes peeled. Margit is a botanist and takes a great deal of pride in the fact that plants bought at Prairie Star are guaranteed to grow well in the area. As you climb out of your vehicle, don’t be surprised when three dogs – Osa, Cisco and Hoppy – come bounding your way.

Though small, Prairie Star insists customers won’t find better hanging baskets anywhere.

“We call them living bouquets,” says Bart Hall. “We go for the size, beauty and complexity of a floral bouquet – only these last for months, not days. In fact, we have people who come from over 13 states to purchase our hanging baskets.”

The basket names are like a travel log on a stamped passport. There’s the brightly colored Rio basket; and the Salzburg basket made of reds and whites, which are common colors in Austria, Margit’s homeland. The flora displayed below the baskets correspond in each greenhouse, so if you choose a basket with orange lantana and pink petunias, the same flowers are below for individual purchase.

Prices at Prairie Star Nursery are competitive because the products are homegrown. Most 1-gallon perennials run $8, 6-inch annuals are $4.50, and hanging baskets range from $14 to $47. The farm is not as picturesque as some of the other nurseries, but the employees are abundantly helpful and both owners are highly educated in horticulture.

The Henrys’ Plant Farm

You’ll find The Henrys’ Plant Farm by heading toward Stull through the countryside west of Lawrence. The signs are easy to spot, so the chances of getting lost are slim.

This is a great place for the entire family to have fun. I could pick and choose a wagon full of annuals and perennials without my young son tugging at my pant leg. In fact, I think I’d probably have to physically remove him from the gardens kicking and screaming because of the animals in the petting zoo. Owners Marcia and Roy Henry say they want to share the farm experience and teach visitors about our furry friends on the prairie.

They’re the proud parents of an emu, pot-bellied pigs, horses, a bull, ducks, chickens, geese, sheep and a miniature donkey. They also nurture a wide variety of plants.

“We have the bread and butter, like petunias and marigolds, but we also have the unique and new plants,” Marcia Henry says. “We try to be a bit different and create an experience that caters to the whole family.”

Be sure to explore the more than 4 acres of theme gardens, including the exotic garden, bog garden, train garden, cut-flower garden, pizza garden, ABC garden and grass garden.

Prices, again, are very reasonable and the family-friendly atmosphere is worth the scenic, relatively short drive. Prices range from annuals in a 4- to 6-pack for under $2, 4-inch perennials for $3.99, and 1-gallon plants for $6.99 to $15. At the very least, your kids will smell like pigs, get dirty, sleep like logs that night and love every minute of it.