Page 4 - Landscape-Issue148

OBITUARY

TRIBUTE TO MICHAEL RAHNER

The South African gardening industry has lost one of its great pioneers with the
passing of Michael Rahner on 13 March 2025. A visionary and entrepreneur, he
revolutionised the garden centre experience in South Africa with an innovative
approach to garden retail, imports and merchandising, all of which set new

standards for the industry.

olour-blind from birth, Michael’s
vision was to create a self-service
Cgarden centre where colourful
flowering plants took centre stage. This led
to the founding of Flora Farm in Boksburg
in 1977, and many of the colour plants were
grown by him in shade houses behind the
nursery. By the late 1980s, Flora Farm had
expanded to open a second retail nursery
in Randburg, and the locations became
known as Flora Farm Garden City and Flora
Farm Garden Village.
It was in the 1990s that Michael truly
revolutionised the South African garden
industry with his Flora Farm garden shows
and Christmas market. Between 1994
and 1999, the shows displayed cutting-
edge water feature landscaping, colour
gardening and indoor plants.
The 1995 garden show attracted
over 30 000 visitors, transforming the ceramic, stoneware and terracotta pots, and he believed in making gardening
concept of a destination garden centre. Indonesian furniture, bronzeware, basket accessible, fun and engaging for people of
Landscaped gardens, Mulbry the Bear ware, silk flowers and seasonal décor. His all ages. His workshops, demonstrations
children’s events and industry speakers Christmas, Easter and Halloween décor and community outreach initiatives such
were all detailed in the Saturday Star imports revolutionised festive retailing in as the Arbor Week Tree Art Competition
newspaper supplements. After importing South Africa. across East Rand schools encouraged a
a flocking machine from Germany, Flora Another of his groundbreaking generation to embrace gardening and
Farm’s snow-covered Christmas market initiatives was his collaboration with the the environment.
also became a landmark event, and these late Rob Stodel of Stodels Nurseries. In Michael and his wife Fay retired to
annual highlights boosted the entire an industry first, they pooled resources the Cape, and he was buried there on
industry. Michael was a forward thinker to bulk-buy imported stock, reducing 14 March 2025 in accordance with Muslim
and also began to import garden products costs and ensuring that a wider range tradition.
into South Africa in the mid-1980s. Flora of pots and décor was available in both The South African gardening
Imports was initially established to Johannesburg and Cape Town. This community mourns the loss of a true
import water feature pumps from France strategic partnership set the stage for co- pioneer whose bold ideas and unwavering
and Germany. operative buying practices now familiar passion reshaped an industry in which he
What began as a small-scale venture throughout the garden retail sector. remains a highly respected icon.
grew into a wholesale powerhouse,
supplying garden centres across South Educating and inspiring Information supplied by Kay Montgomery
Africa. Michael travelled extensively Beyond business, Michael was passionate on behalf of the South African Nursery
around the Far East, bringing in about educating and inspiring gardeners, Association (SANA).

2 Landscape SA • Issue 148 2025 Check us out www.salandscape.co.za