It has always been about family.

1953 was the beginning point for Otten Bros. Nursery & Landscaping and the three brothers, Bert, Joe and Leonard, who founded this family business.

Raised on a farm near Buffalo, Minnesota, the founding Otten brothers were three out of a family of fourteen children. Each brother brought his own unique skill set to the newly created business. Nursery stock production and planting, carpentry, masonry, excavating and business management were the varied talents the brothers brought to the company and used as the cornerstones in the creation of the Otten Bros. Nursery & Landscaping.

It wasn’t long before the business began to prosper and the workload became greater than the three brothers could manage themselves. They hired other experienced professionals in specific areas such as tree-trimming and removal, patios, retaining walls, and lawn maintenance in order to continue to expand and improve their business.

During the early years of Otten Bros., many second-generation family members were hired to help out the growing company. These sons, daughters, nieces and nephews potted plants and worked on the landscape crews.  A few of these family members returned year after year and learned the art of the business. One of these second-generation family members was Leonard Otten’s son, Cliff.

In 1970, Cliff became a partner in the growing company and by 1975 had acquired full ownership of Otten Bros. after two of the original founding brothers retired.

From the garage of one of the original brothers, to downtown Wayzata, to Long Lake, Otten Bros. has continually moved to upsize and upgrade its facilities for the growing business.  Our final move was made in 1991 to our present 12-acre location on the west side of Long Lake. This new site allowed Otten Bros. to offer a larger selection of trees, shrubs, annuals and perennials, as well as more complete lines of garden, landscaping materials and gift-related items. Our full service landscape design and installation department is also headquartered in our new facility.

In the fall of 2006, Otten Bros. acquired an existing garden center & wholesale greenhouse in Delano, Minnesota called The Flower Farm. Today, it is our second retail garden center and growing range for many of the annuals, perennials, shrubs and trees we sell.

In 2023, Cliff sold the business to seven long-term employees. This was first time in the company’s history that it wasn’t owned by an Otten, but with the 175+ collective years of experience working with the company, the new owners are very proud to carry on that family legacy beneath the signature ‘orange oak tree’.

Otten Bros. now employs a staff of over 100 part and full-time employees. It has taken a leadership role in the garden center & landscaping industry within our community and state. We are proud to be employee owned and part of the Long Lake/Orono community.

Today, Otten Bros. is considered one of the premier garden centers and landscaping firms in the United States.