Otts Exotic Plants is not just a greenhouse; it’s also a popular tourist attraction during the fall season, from Hobbit houses and bridges to caves and even an underground river. Everything is here at Otts!
Gravel Pike in Schwenksville is home to this family-owned and operated business from 1914. Godfrey Ott came from Germany at eight years old; unfortunately, he suffered an illness that rendered him partially paralyzed from the waist down.
Greenhouses
Greenhouses provide an ideal environment to grow exotic plants that require warmth and humidity while protecting from harsh weather. Greenhouses can also be an excellent place for starting new seeds; many herbs and vegetables thrive here, such as cabbage, kale, cauliflower, carrots, peas, and tomatoes. Furthermore, greenhouses can protect tender tropical plants from frost year-round for uninterrupted growth.
A greenhouse is an enclosed structure made of glass or plastic designed to retain heat. When sunlight hits a greenhouse, it’s absorbed by plants, soil, and other materials and converted to infrared energy (heat), keeping the space warm all day long – sometimes reaching nearly 100 degrees Fahrenheit during sunny days!
When the sun goes down, its heat energy quickly escapes a greenhouse. To control temperatures properly, it’s crucial that doors and windows be opened early before greenhouse temperatures increase and air-flow fans are added. Greenhouses must also have an effective system for storing excess heat overnight – black barrels filled with water can provide an inexpensive and practical storage option that helps keep heat overnight for later use in a greenhouse.
The temperature in a greenhouse can be controlled with heaters if necessary, although certain plants thrive without them. Exotic plants usually prefer slightly more relaxed temperatures than most people assume, so an accurate thermometer and good ventilation are essential.
A greenhouse can provide the perfect nature retreat, mainly if it contains plants you’ve nurtured. A conservatory offers an ideal escape from everyday stresses while being an incredible source of inspiration if filled with exotic species.
Waterfall
Waterfalls offer gardeners who prefer more natural landscapes a unique growing environment for semiaquatic plants. Waterfalls typically feature faster-moving water than still ponds, helping prevent plant leaves from getting saturated with too much nutrients or getting too wet or wet too quickly. However, certain waterfall plants require specific humidity levels; otherwise, they could struggle if exposed to too much moisture.
Moss makes an ideal addition to waterfalls, as its moist environment allows it to flourish and adds an organic look to the waterfall. Available in various colors and sizes, moss can create beautiful green walls in the background of your waterfall or around its base – making it an invaluable addition. Furthermore, it thrives under partial shade and full sun conditions, making moss an extremely flexible addition to any waterfall!
Crawling Jenny, an evergreen creeping vine, will quickly cover rocks and features in your waterfall garden. A hardy perennial that thrives across US and Canadian climates, it should be planted into an aerated substrate on top of or between rocks to accommodate its rapid growth. Plus, its partial sun or full sunlight tolerance can easily be controlled by trimming back.
Blue flag iris makes an excellent waterfall planting choice, as its soft leaves thrive in damp soil along the banks or slightly moving water near or beneath your waterfall. Native to many parts of North America and Canada, this hardy perennial can be found in hardiness zones 2-9 and produces stunning flowers with deep blue-purple petals that attract butterflies and pollinators insects alike.
Ferns are another popular choice for waterfalls and come in various varieties, such as cinnamon ferns and maidenhair ferns, that thrive in wet conditions and feature vibrant hues. Growing them quickly will provide your waterfall with an inviting landscape.
If you want to ensure the health of your waterfall, add an automatic dosing system. These systems automatically release a measured treatment dose into the fountain to help prevent scale and string algae build-up – an affordable and safe solution for animals who drink from it!
Cave
Caves are unique plant habitats, providing shelter for numerous species. Cool, damp, and dark environments support animals explicitly adapted to live there; caves can also make for stunning sights when visiting them, making an experience worthy of any hike or caving trip with friends or family members.
Cave plants include mosses, ferns, and algae adapted to survive in cave environments with limited light levels. These sporophytes depend on nutrients from organic matter that accumulates inside caves rather than photosynthesis for sustenance; they can thrive from near the entrance down into its depths.
These plants can be found worldwide, from caves of sandstone and limestone to those made of marble and even frost-filled caves. Their hardiness means they can withstand extremes in temperature, cold, and frost without succumbing to pressure – making them suitable for construction projects.
Mosses and liverworts are two of the most prominent cave plants with unique adaptations for survival in extreme temperatures and conditions. Mosses, in particular, are highly resilient; they thrive under any environment imaginable, from hot to cold, drought to flooding conditions, and even periods of desiccation when required to scavenge water from the atmosphere when necessary. On the other hand, liverworts tend to prefer humid habitats over dry ones – often seen thriving among limestone pavements but sometimes even found in sea caves!
Researchers in southern China recently discovered a rare flowering plant with pinkish petals called Pilea cavernicola that thrives in complete darkness. It’s the first flowering species ever known to exist!
Caves around the world provide home to an impressive diversity of plant life. Mosses and ferns thrive in even the deepest caves, often seen clinging to rocks in dark corners of these underground environments.
Mountain
Ott’s Exotic Plants on Gravel Pike in Schwenksville offers all sorts of exotic plant specimens, from greenhouses, waterfalls, and caves to mums for fall, Christmas chrysanthemums, and Easter lilies for your holiday gardening needs – not forgetting Easter lilies and poinsettias too! With family ownership since 1914 and providing all your gardening supplies here – Ott’s Exotic Plants may be missing from your collection.
Ott’s Greenhouses and Cave are bright, vibrant spaces with exotic plants and flowers. Ott’s is better known as “Mum Mountain” due to the colorful mountain located behind their greenhouses – 40 feet high by 75 feet wide at the base, covered with 10,000 chrysanthemums from 100 different varieties; according to Godfrey Ott, who built everything despite being paralyzed from the waist down according to Piper Ott, his granddaughter.
Elopements offer couples looking for something unique and intimate an unforgettable experience. Elise and Jose planned an exquisite New Year’s Eve elopement at Ott’s Exotic Plants that was genuinely gorgeous!
