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Michells Overview

From a farm in Dassenberg, Cape Town, South Africa, a production plant nursery, a showroom and a concept warehouse to an office in Cascais, Portugal, a global green sourcing, consolidation and logistics company in Europe.

The Michells group dynamic offers a unique combination of expert plant knowledge with creative design for the emerging urban green lifestyle. With carefully edited and curated botanical products we inspire the gardener to achieve their need to reconnect with nature.

We compose a top quality product range by working with leading producers and suppliers locally and around the world. A complete range of plant products, planters, decoration, equipment and accessories.

Our team with specialist experience and professional knowledge can provide a full service of expertise and advice that contributes to a unique and lasting green experience.

It is not only what we do that is important but how we do it …… with vision, passion and determination.

Take A Tour of Michells

The Nursery

San Michell Farms cc, is a pioneer and leader in the field of ornamental horticulture in South Africa. The company has 35 years of experience in the production of ornamental pot plants for the garden, balcony, patio and home.

Our quality range of flowering, seasonal, water wise and foliage plants includes bedding, annuals, perennials, shrubs, ground covers, edibles, grasses, succulents, cacti and house plants.

The company focus has always been on investment toward product innovation and the acquisition of new and improved genetics, a market–orientated selection process and ensuring an interesting assortment of the best available plants to offer our customers.

Our plants begin life either as a seed, an unrooted cutting, a rooted cutting or as a tissue culture plantlet. From the outset quality is priority, we constantly aim for perfect starting material. All plants are sourced, selected and purchased only from reputable, leading producers and suppliers around the world who minimize chemical use and residue in their mother stock locations and produce only healthy and clean plant material.

Our plants are grown in premium quality, exclusive custom mixed substrates, without any artificial heating or cooling, which guarantees they are acclimatized by nature. The company has invested in techniques and innovations that lower our use of chemical, while still maintaining a top quality plant.

The company distribution channels are focused on the Western and Eastern Cape and we trade with retail garden centers, DIY stores, garden shops, plant boutiques and home décor boutiques as well as landscapers.

The Showroom

Michells Trading Pty. Ltd. are merchants of quality brands and curated indoor plants. A wholesale importer and distributor of quality, on trend decorative plastic pots, handmade ceramic’s direct from the producer and merchants of fine quality brands in Krumpholz hand-forced garden tools, quality cutting tools from Garten Primus and our latest addition, patio furniture from Portugal, Arcalo Gonçalo Café tables and chairs. We also offer seasonal decorative inspiration with our selection of HerrnHuter Stars.

We offer a wide selection of specialty solutions across pot and plant combinations that appeal to customers across a wide range of settings and channels throughout the Western Cape and Southern Africa.

We offer a fresh approach to the old-fashioned General Distributor, our products originating mainly from high quality European origin, many of which have over 100 years of heritage.

We strive to source and build long-term relationships with our international and local suppliers and believe they are the cornerstone of growth.

Our national base of trade customers across all channels appreciate the fresh on trend approach we have to an ever growing urban lifestyle movement.

We also source and offer the best in nursery grow pots from Floser and substrates from Kekilla-BVB to wholesale growers and the garden industry.

We invite you visit our wholesale only showroom in Atlantis to find out more and be inspired.

Michells in Europe

Michells Europe Lda, is the latest creation in the group and is based in Lisbon, Portugal. Realized as a logical extension of the business already established with a number of suppliers in Europe. Being closer to the market we have been able to optimize co-operation with our various suppliers and partners and specifically develop new relationships.

Our focus remains firmly on the quality of products that we buy whether plant material or allied trade. Its critical for us that our suppliers grow or produce their products with respect for human health, animal welfare and the impact on the environment. Our purchasing is increasingly focused on real artisanal, ethically produced and sustainable product.

The Homestead

A farm is not a farm without animals, so almost two years ago we decided to assemble some cattle to graze the unused stretches of pasture around the nursery.

Our homestead creates the holistic farm experience for our customers who visit our production facility and trading showrooms.

Happy chickens produce fresh eggs daily, organic veggies are grown that are enjoyed by the staff and our adorable sheep and handsome cows, Belle and her son Benji, keep the lawns in check.

We also supply honey when available…

We are not experts at any of this but loving and learning every day.

The Farm

The farm is also a key property within the greater Dassenberg Coastal Catchment Partnership, a climate change adaptation corridor along  the Cape West Coast of Southern Africa, one of the highest priorities for conservation action in the country. The farm contains remnants of Critically Endangered Atlantis Sand Fynbos, with numerous threatened Cape lowlands Fynbos species spanning nearly half the extent of the farm – around 10 ha. These remnants are now conserved under a Conservation Stewardship Agreement, since 2015 with CapeNature and the City of Cape Town: Biodiversity Management Branch as partners. Part of the initiative is to secure the catchment area of the Witzands aquifer, mostly spanning the private land along the Klein Dassenberg hills with the actual aquifer contained within the Witzands Aquifer Nature Reserve, critical for Cape Town’s long term water security.

After the water restrictions of 2004/2005 and again in 2017/2018 the Company set about consciously to decrease the footprint of the production facility on the farm, the goal to reduce the impact on the environment and precious living ecosystem. In 2018 funding was obtained to clear all remaining invasive alien species, mostly Australian Acacia’s from the Conservation Area with continuous follow-up work done annually. The aim being the restoration of the natural ecosystems and protection of important ecological infrastructure. Fences between the San Michell Conservation Area, Nirvana Fynbos Nature Reserve and the City’s Witzands Aquifer Nature Reserve have been removed to allow unrestricted movement of wildlife and with active restoration taking place, the following threatened Fynbos species have been recorded for the first time and are currently thriving within the conservation area;

  • Two-tone retro Cape Gorse (Aspalathus retroflexa subsp. bicolor), Critically Endangered
  • Stiff tentfig (Ruschia tecta), Endangered
  • Hairy Bigstyle (Macrostylis villosa subsp. villosa), Endangered
  • Sandflats Baboon root (Babiana nana subsp. nana), Endangered
  • Sandveld Fountainreed (Cannomois arenicola), Endangered
  • Snakestem pincushion (Leucospermum hypophyllocarpodendon subsp. canaliculatum), Vulnerable
  • Koekemakranka (Gethyllis ciliars subsp. ciliaris), Near Threatened

It has not been difficult to accomplish extraordinary restoration results in comparatively few years, as has been achieved by the neighboring farm, Nirvana Fynbos Nature Reserve. www.nirvanafynbos.co.za.

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Ruschia Tecta
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Ghettylis Ciliaris
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Macrostylis Villosa
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Cannomois Arenicola
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Aspalathus Retroflexa Bicolor
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Leucospermum Hypophyllocarpodendron
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Babiana Nana Nana

Michells Conservation Area Map

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