Well I'm not sure if Seattle Metro area means strictly within the city limits but I'll give it a go.

Strictly within Seattle I'll go with this list:
Swanson's
West Seattle Nursery
City People's Garden Store

Outside Seattle I like the following places:
Minter's Earlington Greenhouse (South Seattle/Renton)
Sky Nursery (Shoreline)
Watson's (Puyallup)

City People is my favorite. Nice selection--sometimes unusual stuff, competitive prices and very helpful and well informed staff. Swanson's is very overpriced and I will pay fair prices and sometimes more but at Swanson's I always feel cheated.

It depends on what I'm looking for. I like Wells Medina for conifers and shrub selection - they do a nice job on annuals, too. Molbak's is also good for annuals but otherwise I consider it a giftstore that sells some plants :-( I like Emery's for Japanese maples and other trees and shrubs, I like Swanson's for perennials and exotica and I like Sky's for clematis. I've been totally unimpressed with CityPeoples and West Seattle Nursery is just too small to have much, as is Magnolia Garden Center.

For the best prices, more rural nurseries (outside the metro area) seem to have lower prices and some have amazingly good selections as well. I'll stop virtually anywhere that advertises itself as a plant nursery and have found some treasures out there in Skagit, Kitsap and Whatcom counties. And if you're on your way south, the Clark county/Vancouver area has many nurseries worth stopping at.

Emery's is currently having their annual Pink Flamingo sale, with 30% off everything. June 25-July 5. I bought a catalpa tree, some conifers and some perennials.

not exactly metro but it is worth a trip to Maltby to visit Flower World. fifteen acres of plants.

Here is a link that might be useful: Flower World

Swanson's starts their annual fall blow-out Sep. 1. 40% off trees and shrubs and so on. There was some interesting stuff in stock the other day.

Of course, 40% off their prices might often bring them down to near the regular price for some items elsewhere.

If anyone is up north, Skagit Valley Gardens has their annual 1/2 off all plants sale this weekend. Starts today. Best prices for serious trees (incl lots of nice conifers) anywhere in the PNW that I've found.
We're usually waiting in line an hour early every year to get the best stuff. Big stampede, people running, it's like the Oklahoma land rush. :)
- Tom

Thanks for the tip.

I went by Skagit and bought windmill palms, two kinds of fothergilla, a dianthus, a hibiscus and a heuchera. 200 bucks worth of stuff for a 100.