Blue Hills_September 2017

Spring is in the air YOUR UNIQUE LIFESTYLE

Magazine

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Indigenous gardening

contents ents SEP 2017

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IMPORTANT CONTACT DETAILS FROM THE ESTATE MANAGER INDIGENOUS GARDENING DEVELOPMENT UPDATE SECURITY UPDATE SAFETY OF OUR CHILDREN

LIFESTYLE & DECOR 16 18

EXCLUSIVE CARS AIR PLANTS

HEALTH & WELLNESS 24

THE ROOT OF THE MATTER

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IMPORTANT CONTACT DETAILS ESTATE MANAGER Percy Manenzhe 083 512 2005 SECURITY

Clint Van Wyk Armed Reaction Officer 072 6152 133 076 301 3925 EMERGENCY Eskom 086 0037 566 JHB Water 0860 562 874 Police 10111 Ambulance 10177 SPCA 011 265 9935 SNAKE CATCHER Mike 083 448 8854

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BLUE HILLS EQUESTRIAN ESTATE MANAGEMENT BODY The Blue Hills Equestrian Estate management body has been developed to ensure that should you have a query or wish to address anything on the Estate, we have a team of individuals you can refer your concerns to. This committee goes beyond our monthly Directors’ Meetings, but rather is aimed at ensuring that the running of this Estate is handled with all due care.

THE BOARD IS MADE UP OF: • • • • •

Nick Crow, Century Ugen Govender Joel Mokgohlwa Caesar Mtetwa Kanyane Mathibe

THE COMMITTEE IS SUPPORTED BY TRAFALGAR WHO ARE REPRESENTED BY: • • • • •

Michael Schaefer / Director of Trafalgar Shahiem Carr / Director of Trafalgar Chene Blignaut / Estate Portfolio Manager Percy Manenzhe / Estate Manager Head office support Birdhaven

Should you wish to be involved and have a spare couple of available hours per month, please contact Percy and he can put you in contact with the relevant Committee Heads.

Disclaimer: This Newsletter is produced especially for residents/owners of Blue Hills Estate to provide updates and useful information. It is produced by K-Studio on behalf of Blue Hills Estate HOA. Although every effort is taken to ensure accuracy of content, Blue Hills Estate HOA and/or the Publisher, cannot be held liable for any inaccurate information, and may not agree with all opinions expressed in this publication.

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From The

Estate Manager’s Desk

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Percy Manenzhe

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Indigenous gardening Renier Pretorius (BSc Landscape Architecture) Director of deSCAPE

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ESTATE NEWS In recent years, many people and developments have realized the advantages of using indigenous vegetation in gardening. With more and more people having less time on their hands to attend to gardens, the notion of a “lowmaintenance” garden has become a big attraction. Indigenous species have adapted to local climate, geography and hydrology, which in turn allows them to thrive (once established) with minimal pesticides, fertilizers and watering.

These advantages will assist one in achieving a low maintenance garden. In South Africa, we are privileged to have a wide variety of indigenous plants allowing us to create numerous different types of gardens through combining the right indigenous species. Indigenous species also tend to attract birds, butterflies and wildlife much more effectively, compared to exotic species.

When creating an indigenous garden, it is important to keep in mind that one of the reasons why South Africa has such a wide variety of species, is because we have many different “biomes”.

(Savanna, Thicket, Grassland, Forest, Fynbos, Nama Karoo, Succulent Karoo and Desert) This needs to be considered when creating a “lowmaintenance” garden, because the biome that you find yourself in will also help you determine the species that are best suited to your geographical location. (Biome maps of South Africa are readily available on the internet) Gauteng and specifically the Pretoria area has

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a moderate climate which is suitable for a lot of the indigenous species that are not typical for the biome. In a lot of instances, especially in cities, it is important to remember that many of the attributes of a given biome, may have been altered to a large extent due to human factors such as: • •

•

•

Building rubble, which alters soil condition.

Buildings cast shade, which may cause microclimates around the building to be different.

Fertilizers and pesticides introduced may alter PH levels in the soil.

In some biomes plants benefit from wildfires, which occur naturally, but may have to be simulated with mowing/pruning techniques.

A common error, is that “low-maintenance” has been replaced with “no-maintenance” by many people, which in turn has led to the misconception that indigenous species have the reputation of being untidy in a garden setting. In a garden setting, layout and finishes will play a huge part in creating an aesthetical, contextual and practical garden, whether using indigenous or exotic species. A lot of indigenous species tend to be dormant during the winter months, which might make your garden more “dull” if not combined with indigenous species that give colour during the dryer months. If strategically placed, winter colours may even add to the aesthetic value to large extent.

In conclusion, there are more advantages than constraints, when working with indigenous species, but it is still important to understand what it is that you want to achieve and to take a wholistic and realistic approach when designing your dream garden.

One of my design lecturers related that he would often be asked why his garden looks so dull in winter, his reply was:

“She has her moments…”

ESTATE NEWS

DEVELOPMENT Available 28 | Reserved 2 | Pending (Dep1) 1 Sold 4 | Bankable 3 | Transferred 90 Total 128

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SECURITY We would like to announce to you our new security guarding services for the estate, Thompson’s security.

The HOA Board of directors together with the newly established procurement sub-committee saw that it was necessary to increase the security measures on the estate by adding one more patrol vehicle and build up the guard staff complement to make Blue Hills Equestrian estate a much safer environment to live in.

Once an owner resides in the Estate, he/she can register on the “Click-On” system in order for their visitors to gain access into Blue Hills Equestrian Estate.

Importantly: 1. Residents of Blue Hills Equestrian estate who are interested in getting panic buttons which will be linked to the reaction officer’s vehicle and the control room may contact Percy or security manager for arrangement of installation at their homes.

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ESTATE NEWS

Update 2. If ever you are traveling home to Blue Hills and you feel unsafe & suspect that you are being followed, Thompson’s security have offered to meet you at a safe collection point to escort homeowners to the estate but only from specific pick up spots, Cnr R55 & Summit road/Olifantsfontein and secondly Robots at Crowthorne shopping Centre.

Thompson’s site security manager can be contacted on 071 230 1627 (Martin Rheeder) & 076 771 9082 (Reaction officer) to have your own personal Alarm system & panic buttons installed for rapid response by the on-site armed reaction officer.

Owners are welcome to contact Percy to arrange to have their fingerprints loaded to the access system for easier access into the Estate.

The Estate has installed a state of the art thermal CCTV system which is monitored by Thompson’s 24/7/365.

Cameras have been strategically placed around the Estate to monitor and report on any transgressions.

Thermal cameras have been placed along the wetland area separating Blue Hills Equestrian Estate from Blue Hills Country Estate and these will assist in alerting any transgressions in this area.

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Safety

OF CHILDREN

Speed limit is 30Km/h in the estate.

We don’t have stop signs in the estate yet but the HOA is looking at installation of road signs/speed signs throughout the estate, please ensure that you drive as safe as possible. There are children walking and riding their bikes to school please ensure that you keep to the speed limit and stop at the stop streets.

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LIFESTYLE & DÉCOR

Classic Cars The Corber-Way

Where and when did your love for old cars start?

it is a classic!

interview by Chantél Venter

I started “working” at a body shop when I was in grade 9 – I actually just messed around with the old cars. It was a friend of my dad’s place and I only found out years later that my father paid the owner who then paid me my “salary”.

I have since then been buying and selling classic cars – even project vehicles – as long as

Do you only have a “thing” for old cars or are there other motorised vehicles that flip your bonnet (so to speak)?

There is something about a vintage/classic car that just does it for me. Off-road vehicles have also become something I specialise in!

Have you always dreamt of owning a classic car? Do you do a double-take whenever you pass one on the road, and have to contain yourself from touching a vintage beauty in a parking lot? Then you are a classic car enthusiast. One such an enthusiast, Corber Viljoen, has turned this passion of his into a dream job. We chatted to him about his love for classics and how Moselin Exclusive Cars in Silver Lakes is helping others realise their vintage car dreams.

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What is your all time favourite old car and have you had the opportunity to restore one?

I have not yet – hopefully one day I will have the chance to restore a 1969 Chevrolet Camaro SS. I have found one but there is no time for that now! I would love to own and restore a BMW 3.0 CSi and a 2002 Tii BMW.

What kind/s of car/s do you own?

I have owned a number of classics but I haven’t kept a single one! Moselin Exclusive Cars owns some nice cars though: 1965 Corvette Stingray 1972 BMW 3.0 CSL 850 BMW Interceptor Cortina Diplomatic 750IL 360 Modena Ferrari And some more!

What is the story behind Moselin Exclusive Cars (previously GT Auto)?

Adv. Mphaga started GT Auto along with another partner – due to differences in business this did not last and recently Moselin Exclusive Cars was born. The business, GT Auto and Moselin has been operating in Silver Lakes for the past 3 years. Moselin is an abbreviation for Moses and Lindi – this is Adv. Mphaga and his wife. I started as the Sales Manager in January 2017 and took over full management in June 2017 after 3 months’ negotiations with Adv. Mphaga. I believe Moselin will be a game changer in the classic and exclusive car world within the next 12 months.

What part of the restoration process do you enjoy most?

Moselin Exclusive Cars is more than just a place to view and buy restored oldies. It is an ideal family outing. What can visitors expect from a morning or afternoon at the garage?

I enjoy the big reveal! There is nothing more rewarding than seeing a happy client. Fabricating is also a pretty cool thing!

We pride ourselves on the fact that we enjoy what we do and we want our customers to feel the same when they are

here. We have a fully licenced pub and restaurant as well as the workshop, which our clients are more than welcome to enter for a glimpse of what we do. People come here to enjoy breakfast or lunch and be transported back in time through the classic cars. We are also able to offer some advice where possible.

Are there any new developments visitors can look forward to?

THIS IS A SURPRISE but yes – massive changes and upgrades will be revealed soon. We hope to have the full rebranding completed within 2 months.

You recently exhibited at the Adrenaline Show, what was the experience like? Was it your first show or do you exhibit often?

We exhibit all over the country but it was our first Adrenaline.

It is amazing and very fitting to combine the aircrafts with automotive masterpieces, as this is something unknown to SA. You own Wat Swaai jy on Facebook. Why did you start this endeavour?

This was started in 2016 – officially – but I have been using the same platform for the past 3 years in my buying and selling endeavours. Wat Swaai Jy is still my first born and there is also many great things planned for this in the near future.

Which services/plans do you provide for buyers?

Wat Swaai jy is a platform that facilitates the entire buying and selling process – taking the hassle out of the client’s hands and also obtaining the best value for my clients. There are many buying platforms but Wat Swaai Jy and Moselin in turn operates on a fully ethical way of business and the aim is to be

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as transparent as possible.

What are the steps when a customer is looking to sell his/ her classic car?

Sign my mandate or consignment form – this does not limit the client to only my services but gives the client and me some security.

Bring me the car or send me as many photos and details, confirm the paperwork and then I WILL sell your car at a market related price. I normally (98% of the time) obtain a higher price for my clients compared to other selling platforms. This is for classics as well as newer vehicles. Wat Swaai Jy covers any vehicle and is not 100% set on classics/exclusives.

Wat Swaai Jy will soon offer services such as finance through private companies, payment portals for secure payments as this remains a challenge when buying and selling.

I plan to disrupt the second-hand market. In our current economy people are looking at pre-owned vehicles more often than brand new cars and unfortunately this market involves some in convenience regarding ownership changes etc. This is where Wat Swaai Jy also features and we facilitate the entire process seamlessly.

Classic Cars are mainly an investment; do you offer certified valuations for insurance purposes?

We do. We do intensive research and then provide accurate valuations based on that.

How can customers get in contact with you?

I can be contacted on Facebook from the Wat Swaai Jy page or via email corber@watswaaijy.co.za or during office hours on my cellphone: 083 554 9370

LIFESTYLE & DÉCOR

PLANTS

9 Beautiful plants that purify the air inside your home written by Chantél Venter

We all know that the air out there is polluted, which is why we appreciate the role trees play in purifying the air we breathe. But what about inside the home? Did you know there is such a thing as indoor air pollution?

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Everyday products used for cleaning (detergent, floor and surface cleaner), personal care (toilet paper, tissues), DIY projects (glue, paint, inks) etc. are releasing contaminants such as formaldehyde, benzene, xylene, ammonia etc. into the rooms we should feel the safest in. Add poor ventilation, mold, pollen etc. to the mix and this could be the reason why you are feeling congested, suffer from headaches and even nausea.

Ensuring proper ventilation in

your home is a good start in combatting indoor air pollution, but there is something else you can do too: add a few plants in your home.

Potted plants can do more than just add a beautiful green touch, they can: • uplift your mood; • reduce mental exhaustion; and • purify the air.

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Some of these include: 1. Ficus Ficus Benjamina/Weeping Fig A ficus is technically a tree but it is the ideal house “plant” to combat benzene, formaldehyde and trichloroethylene in the air. Keep your ficus in a humid area with bright, indirect sunlight.

2. Peace Lily Spathiphyllum sp.

The beautiful white and green blooms of a peace lily will brighten up any room while purifying the air from ammonia, benzene, formaldehyde and trichloroethylene. Plant in a vibrant pot and place in a shady area.

3. Spider Plant Chlorophytum Comosum “Vittatum” The white and green wispy leaves of a spider plant looks great in any shaped pot and rids a room of formaldehyde and xylene. Place plant in a bright area that receives ample indirect sunlight.

4. Boston Fern Nephrolepis exaltata v. Bostoniensis Give a room a forest-like appearance with a fern and rid it of formaldehyde and xylene in

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the process. Place on a surface or hang from the ceiling in a humid/moist area that gets some indirect sunlight.

5. Snake Plant/ Mother-in-law’s tongue Sansevieria trifasciata This edgy plant removes benzene, formaldehyde, trichloroethylene, and xylene from the air. Place in a humid area with some sun.

6. Bamboo Palm Camaedorea seifritzii Remove benzene, formaldehyde and trichloroethylene with a bamboo. This fun plant Who knew that something so gorgeous could will grow quite tall and needs a bright and sunny be such an effective air purifier? Place it is a environment in order to flourish. high light area and rid the room of traces of benzene and trichloroethylene.

7. Aloe Vera A. barbadensis Mill

9. Chrysanthemum Chrysanthemum morifolium

Best known for its healing properties, aloe vera is also a potent air purifier ridding the air of An equally beautiful plant that also flourishes formaldehyde. This plant likes sunny, dry areas in an area with bright and direct sunlight, and doesn’t want too much water. the chrysanth frees the air of benzene. Ideal for a home office where traces of glue and 8. Gerbera Daisy ink is found, or in the scullery/kitchen where Gerbera jamesonii plastics and detergents are used.

HEALTH & WELLNESS

GINGER

ROOT of the matter Ginger has been used for thousands of years as a natural treatment for colds and flu around Asia. The University of Maryland Medical Center states that to treat cold and flu symptoms in adults, steep 2 tbsp. of freshly shredded or chopped ginger root in hot water, two to three times a day

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