Bluebird Nursery, Clarkson Nebraska

Harlan and Shirley Hamernik (in front) pose with most of their staff in front of Clarkson's town sign. The Nursery employs over 110 people in Clarkson, Nebraska, a town with an official population of 699. The nursery ships millions of perennials, herbs, grasses and wildflowers to garden centers, landscapers, mail order houses, botanic gardens, parks and zoos throughout the U.S. and Canada. The firm's founder, Harlan Hamernik, is always on the prowl for new and unusual plant species to add to his inventory.