Leonotis leonurus – Common names: Wild dagga, Lion’s ear
There is no other plant that announces the arrival of autumn more than Leonotis leonurus with its long plumes of bright orange flowers that blends well with all the autumn colours.
The colourful favourite – Leonotis leonurus
This colourful perennial has become a firm favourite in gardens and is very easy to grow. It attracts sunbirds, bees and butterflies to the garden to feast on the nectar-rich flowers in autumn and winter. Leonotis leonurus occursnaturally in the Western Cape, Kwazulu Natal, Eastern Cape, Limpopo and Gauteng, making Leonotis a go-to plant for landscaping uses.
Watch out for the sharp edges
Leonotis is a fast-growing shrub with long, roughly hairy leaves that taper with serrated edges. It is highly aromatic and has a robust herby scent, characteristic of the mint family—the plant branches at the base into erect, reedy stems that grow up to 2 metres. The stems are brittle and break easily in strong winds. The top half of the stems bear clusters of tubular, bright orange flowers that encircle the stems and appears at intervals along the length of the stem. After flowering, at the end of winter, prune back hard and apply a thick layer of organic mulch to stimulate vigorous growth and retain youthfulness.
The plant for all seasons
Leonotis leonurusis widely suitable for mixed borders, country garden, fynbos, grassland and rockery garden themes in full sun. It will do best in well-drained soil with plenty of compost added. Water well in summer. Fast-growing and both frost and drought hardy. It is seldom attacked by pest or disease.
Leonotis leonurus is and has been widely used in traditional medicine to treat several ailments. Tea made from the flowers is used to treat sore throats, high blood pressure and asthma. Strong infusions made from leaves, twigs, and flowers are used to treat skin problems and relieve sore muscles if added to a bath. Leonotis leonurus generally grown has bright orange flowers, but there is also a form with ivory-white flowers available. Both make excellent cut flowers.
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Have you been looking for a little getaway spot in the Winelands?
Well, we have the perfect place for you! Right here on Alimandi grounds, we have been secretly polishing up Nossie’s Nook, our quaint, but a welcoming overnight cottage.
Ideal for 2 guests, Nossie’s Nook offers 1 bedroom with a queen-sized bed, a sofa bed for an extra guest (suitable for a child), a bath, a small self-catering kitchen, free parking and an indoor fireplace.
Nestled on our smallholding in Klapmuts, in the heart of the Cape Winelands, Nossie’s Nook is just what you need to get away from the tech world and embrace nature.
All the details about our Nossie’s Nook –
o The cottage has 1 bedroom with air-conditioning
o A double bed and an en-suite bathroom with a bath, shower, toilet and basin
o The kitchen is equipped with everything guests will need for a carefree getaway. The self-catering kitchen includes a stove, fridge, microwave, tea- and coffee-making facilities, crockery and cutlery
o The living room has comfortable seating and a single sleeper couch ideal for a child, as well as a carbon sink for those cold winter nights
o The veranda has a picnic table and braai facilities for guests to prepare meals
Nossie’s Nook is ideally located near Stellenbosch, Franschhoek, Paarl, Wellington and Cape Town.
What more can we say about our Nossie’s Nook?
Besides that we have designed a comfortable and modern place for you to rest your weary feet, we know that you will also enjoy exploring the surrounding areas.
What’s there to do in and around Klapmuts?
Take a short walk from Nossie’s Nook and come see our nursery. Even though we cater just for wholesale, we are always proud to show it off.
However, if you are looking to buy some plants, we have just opened up our Succulent Trading Post at Klein Joostenberg in Stellenbosch. Succulents are perfect in our drought-stricken Cape Town. They require little watering and are low-maintenance, and very beautiful. Klein Joostenberg also has a wonderful restaurant, a winery, deli and butchery. So, there is loads to do right there.
If you love animals, take a drive to Butterfly World, where you will find, of course, all species of butterflies, crawling insects, snakes and other farm-style animals.
Warwick Winery is not too far off either if you fancy a glass of wine and to tuck into one of their picnic baskets.
The Giraffe House is a real treat for the kids and just a jump and a hop into Bellville.
So, whether you decide to just relax and enjoy the sights and sounds of nature at Nossie’s Nook or go exploring, you have many choices.
Should you wish to book for Nossie’s Nook, simply click through here. We look forward to welcoming you.
The Alimandi Annual Bonfire Event takes place every year in the month of August and brings together close friends, family and customers. It is a magical day and night of “kuier” with those you haven’t seen in a while, amazing local music and even more amazing food and drinks.
A BRIEF HISTORY
Originally from Colesberg, Northern Cape, our family dream was to own a piece of land where we could live a self-sustaining life. A place where our parents could help watch over their grandchildren and we after them when the time came. A place that we could call our own.
In 2010 the dream became reality during a father and son bike trip that took us all along the West Coast into the southern parts of Namibia. On our departure, we drove past a small holding in Klapmuts, Paarl, and all our dreams started to take shape.
Being the eldest, I had the honour of running the small holding, Alimandi, while my brother Oeloff took over our parent’s business in Colesberg. The plan was that our parents would move down from Colesberg as soon as Oeloff had the business under wraps and eventually Oeloff and his family would follow suit.
Sadly our dad, Nos, passed away literally 2 weeks before he and our mom, Marianne, could move down to Alimandi. After planting his ashes on Alimandi with a River Bushwillow Tree Combretum Erythrophyllum) of “Vaderlandswilg” (in Afrikaans), we started celebrating his life by hosting an annual Bonfire Event for friends, family, customers and friends of friends.
THE BONFIRE EXPERIENCE
The event is held in August each year and is comprised of a full cast featuring live music, artisanal food trucks, jumping castles, fun activities and overnight camping if you so feel inclined.
Limited to 200 guests, we like to keep it cosy and personal, where everybody knows somebody else.
You can bring your own camping chairs and/or camping gear, picnic blankets, drinks & snacks and enjoy the day with family and friends, live music and good vibes.
JOIN US AT THIS YEAR’S ALIMANDI BONFIRE
This year’s Bonfire Event will again be held on the 17th of August and you can book your tickets through Quicket right here.
We look forward to celebrating with old and new friends!
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Have you dreamed of having succulent and healthy plants in
your office, hospitality venue or home, but just don’t have the ‘green fingers’
or the patience for it?
Family owned and run, Alimandi can take away the irritation
and hassle out of managing and maintaining your flora aesthetics. We are here to bring life and excitement to
your venue.
With a strong belief in enhancing your venue, while still maintaining
a family orientated and sustainable lifestyle, filled with fun, excitement and
love, our decorative pot will bring life to your day.
HOW DOES IT ALL WORK?
On a monthly recurring basis, we rotate your pots, giving
you peace of mind, and taking away the frustration of maintaining your own
plants. Think about those open tables,
walls and focal areas, where a potted succulent would fit perfectly.
These rental pots will make a remarkable difference to your
venue and best of all there is no
maintenance needed.
WHY BOTHER WITH DECORATIVE POT
PLANTS?
All our clients can bear witness to the value of our
decorative pots, and constantly give us positive feedback in that they have
given a fun and lively enhancement to their venue.
Plants absorb Carbon Dioxide and keep Oxygen
flowing, and they purify the air by removing toxins
Further, they help to deter illness, ease
tension and lower stress levels
Plants create a relaxed and happy ambience
whilst helping you to ultimately appreciate life better through improved
concentration, heightened attention, enhanced creativity, increased
productivity and enriched overall well-being
The air purifying and filtering properties of
plants ultimately foster a healthier and happier environment
It may seem far-fetched that greenery can have such an advantageous effect on such a simple yet important thing such as our daily lives, but the results and especially smiles speak for themselves. The benefits of plants are of paramount importance for indoor and outdoor environment quality.
SO, HOW CAN YOU GET YOUR HANDS ON
OUR POPULAR POTS?
We encourage you to use this notion to inspire your
creativity even more and to let yourself discover your wildest dreams through
the benefits of healthy and life-giving pot plants.
They will not only look amazing but make you, your staff and your customers feel incredible too.
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OUR VALUED CUSTOMERS
To find out more about our monthly pot plant contracts, and
get ready to breathe life into your venue, simply send us an email today.
We’re looking forward to chatting.
To keep up to date with all Alimandi news, follow us on our social media platforms or sign up to our regular and valuable newsletter.
