Many of the best offerings are from the public plants sales of botanical gardens. The Strybing Arboretum sale is always good and its plant sale is June 9th if you will happen to be in town then. The UCB and UCSC Botanical Gardens have their sales in April, but the gardens themselves are worth visiting.
Part of the issue depends on what route you consider "the coast": Hwy 101 or Hwy 1? There are fewer nurseries along Hwy. 1 as it is not a major trucking route. I would recommend that you spend a day meandering around the Bay before heading south from it. There are several nurseries worth hopping to along the East Bay. The Dry Garden Nursery and Berkeley Horticultural Nursery are two Berkeley locations that are both highly recommended. There is a well-regarded nursery at a Long's Drugs in Oakland (never been there, so that's all I can tell you). Annie's Annuals is in Richmond and they have a lot more than just annuals (you can search their catalog on the internet to see if you'd be interested. I usually give them low priority for a site visit since they do mail order and you don't have to be there "in the flesh" to get their plants). Western Hills in Occidental is out of the way and under new ownership, so perhaps not open. It used to be a must-see pilgrimage, though, just to view the plantings, if nothing else. You might email them if you're interested in that much of a detour to see if they'll open for you. If I had to pick just one for your indicated interests, it would probably be Dry Garden.

Las Pilatas in Santa Margarita, off the 101 in the area of San Luis Obispo.

I have not been there but it is most definately on my list of places to go. They specialize in California native plants and attracting wildlife. Even if it's too much out of your way there is an abundance of info on the website.

Mary C
PS - They also have a nursery in Escondido/San Diego

Here is a link that might be useful: Las Pilitas

Mary C, you beat me to it.

Santa Barbara has a nice botanic garden also.

Here is a link that might be useful: Santa Barbara Botanic Garden

There are 2 great lists in the FAQ that were posted by all and collected by DavisSue (thanks, Sue!).

Enjoy!

Brenda

No. Cal Nurseries & Gardens

So. Cal Nurseries & Gardens

Thanks so much for all these suggestions, especially the link to the lists on FAQ. We're both garden enthusiasts so will loop in from 1 to 101 for good nurseries. And we'll try to squeeze in a day for the UCB gardens and local nurseries. Chris (Gardenwheels)

There is a nursery in Buellton that is awesome-- tons of plants you won't find at Walmart, but also tons and tons of garden art items-- every square inch is jam packed with something really cool. It's a must see, as far as I am concerned. You'll go away with a head filled with a lifetime of ideas.

The bad news is that I can't remember the name of the place to save my life. I am new to the area (Lompoc) and visited the nursery last Spring. I do know that if you are heading north on 101, you'd want to turn off at 246 heading west. You can get there from Hwy. 1 by getting on 246 (heading east) when you hit Lompoc. Like I said above, it's in Buellton, on the south side of the road. I doubt if you could miss it-- Buellton isn't all that big. ;-)

Nancy

Nancy - Is it the Dave Wilson Nursery?

(You can find anything with Google....) :-)

Jenn, I've Googled and used the telephone book and *nothing* rings a bell. The Dave Wilson/Windmill nursery, according to my own googling might be it, but the pictures don't look at all familiar. Even the map shows it on the wrong side of the road:
Windmill nursery map

Then again, when I worked for the Fresno PD, they called me Wrongway, so you never know. ;-) It's a gorgeous area this time of year, so would probably be worth the trip and a stop for coffee no matter what.

Here is a link that might be useful: Windmill nursery

Ron's Nursery in Grover Beach (13th St.) is a gorgeous garden center. It has become a tourist destination. Ron Carlock has owned and run it for decades. A bit pricy but worth the stop.

San Luis Obispo Botanical Garden just off Hwy 1 between Morro Bay and San Luis Obispo sells med.climate plants every Tuesday from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. (weather permitting) and on the second Saturday of the month in the afternoon. See the web page for great events and talks, as well.

Bay Laurel Nursery in Atascadero (can be seen from 101) sells plants and a large selection of trees.

There are many others, but unless you want to spend a week in SLO County, this is a starter.

Here is a link that might be useful: San Luis Obispo Botanical Garden

Seaside Gardens just off the 101 in Carpenteria, lots of Australian plants, wonderful demonstration garden.

Sperling in Calabasas, just off the 101, nice place to visit.

I second Bay Laurel Nursery, Another further North is Hometown Nursery in Paso Robles on Spring St, then there is Treeman in Templeton, If you're into herbs, on 46 west there is Sycamore Farms in Paso Robles, I don't know what they have, their barn burned down a couple years ago. On 1 there is Grow Nursery, on the north end of Cambria. Which if you took 1 down to 46 across, you could hit all the nurseries in Paso Robles, Templeton, then Atascadero, Santa Margarita, and sweep down to SLO and further south. Over the Grade there is Ron's Nursery In Arroyo Grande, it's got the quality of plants you'd find in a floral shop. It's on thirteenth street. There is also Oceano Nursery, which is more interesting, it has lots of stuff to look at, but it is more junk yard retro, than upscale.