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MAGAZINE: FEB 2017
Growing Succulents
Featuring:
Fibre Rollout
Disclaimer: This eMagazine is produced especially for residents in Zambezi Country Estate to provide updates and useful information. It is produced by GLOVent Media & That Touch Media on behalf of the homeowners’ association (HOA) of Zambezi Country Estate. Although every effort is taken to ensure accuracy of content, the HOA and/or the publisher, cannot be held liable for any inaccurate information, and may not agree with all opinions expressed in this publication.
ADVERTISING ENQUIRIESContact Our Sales Team
Tel: 0861 017 424E-mail: [email protected]
Next Issue: March 2017
CONTENTSA division of GLOVent Solutions
www.glovent.co.za | [email protected]
This magazine is designed & published in partnership by:
A division of That Touch Consultants
Disclaimer: This eMagazine is produced especially for residents of Schonenberg Estate to provide updates and useful information. It is produced by GLOVent Media & That Touch Media, on behalf of the Home Owners Association of Schonenberg Estate. Although every effort is taken to ensure accuracy of content, Schonenberg 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.
Schonenberg Staff
Ready, steady, go!
Recipe
Environmental News
Water-Wise: Growing Succulents
Bees On The Estate
Security Issues
Short-term Rentals
Ongoing Projects
Fibre Rollout
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All maintenance related problems should be reported to Stephanie on PABX 1204 and after hours (in case of an emergency), please phone 082 5387 812
IMPORTANT NUMBERS
EMERGENCY CONTACTS
SECURITY MAIN GATE All hoursPABX 1000 / 021 200 1835
SECURITY - WATERSTONE GATEOpen hours (05:00 – 22:00)PABX 1001 / 021 200 1834
SECURITY – SCHONENBERG ESTATEVetus Schola Office hours(08:00 – 17:00)PABX 1000 / 6445 / 6426 /021 852 9009 / 082 888 4850
SCHONENBERG HOA OFFICEOffice hours (08:00 – 17:00)PABX 9 / 021 855 4537
Security Control RoomVetus Schola - All hours: 021 852 9009Security Armed ResponseVetus Schola [Estate] - All hours: 081 051 6696
Fire Department - 021 444 2700 / 021 590 1900Ambulance - EMO 072 996 6337 / 107 / 112
Schonenberg MaintenanceOffice hours (08:00 – 17:00)PABX 1202After hours: 082 538 7812
Police Somerset West021 850 1303 / 021 850 1300
If you have a not-so-urgent issue or a general query, please send an e-mail to one of the following addresses:Accounts - [email protected] | Maintenance - [email protected] & Communication - [email protected] | Reception - [email protected]
4Sam’s Dam
“My name is Mzingisi Amos Lugiza and I am 49 years-old. I was born in King William’s Town in the Eastern Cape where my brothers and sisters still live. I moved to Cape Town 25 years ago looking for greener pastures. Currently, I’m a general maintenance worker on the Schonenberg Estate and regard myself as loyal, obedient, hardworking and very reliable. In my free time I enjoy watching soccer matches, especially if my favourite team, the Pirates, are playing. I also enjoy watching cricket and my favourite players are Hashim Amla and AB de Villiers. I’m married with four kids, two boys and two girls, and we stay in Lwandle, Strand.”
SCHONENBERG STAFFMeet Mzingisi Amos Lugiza – General Maintenance Worker
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SHOA management is pleased to announce that we shall be hosting the inaugural Estate Run.
Come rain or shine, get your footgear out, pull up your socks and be ready to join us for a fun walk/ jog /run around the Estate. Don’t miss this date!When: Saturday 25 March 2017Time: 08:00Start: Children’s Play Park (next to the postboxes) Social dogs on the leash are welcome – but bring your own ablution bags!
ESTATE FAMILY RUN/WALK2017 SCHONENBERG ESTATE RUN
We need some feedback from you as a resident in order for us to plan this event to the best of our ability. Please take a minute of your time to complete the following SURVEY
[A Mimosa is a cocktail composed of equal parts champagne or sparkling wine and chilled fruit juice, served in a champagne flute with morning brunch.]
Pomegranate Mimosa
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SERVES 8SPONSORED RECIPE: PRIVATE HOTEL SCHOOL
INGREDIENTS:
• 750 ml bottle chilled dry sparkling wine
• 750 ml chilled pomegranate juice
• Pomegranate arils
METHOD:
1. Fill 8 champagne flutes half with chilled sparkling wine.
2. Top with pomegranate juice.
3. Garnish with pomegranate rubies
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Our very own compost project started in 2016 already. With Crown
Landscaping services in the steering position, we have a very capable
foreman, Nkosinathi Thwesha, to manage the project. Nkosinathi has
been working for Crown for the past seven years.
When asked how he would describe the process of making compost he
answered as follows: “We lay dry materials such as weeds, plants and
cuttings to form the base. After this, a layer of green material gets laid
ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITYThe Compost Project
ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY (Cont . . .)
down followed by a layer of old compost. This heap gets watered for an hour
and then we wait… for almost 10 - 12 weeks before we can use the compost.
We monitor the temperature daily with measurements taken every morning.
It can go up to 75 degrees celsius. If it drops, it drops below 30 degrees
celsius. If this happens, we turn the heap. After the heap has been turned, the
temperature rises but usually thereafter, it drops again.”
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WATER WISE:
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Werner Voigt, curator of the Karoo Desert National Botanical Garden, claims these plants have phyto-intelligence because they have evolved to survive. With reference to ‘Environmental News’ in the January 2017 eMag, we learnt that Schonenberg’s landscaping team is planning to continue with the water-wise concept, which was introduced in 2015/2016, which includes the using of succulent and
indigenous plants combined with ‘klip’ and gabion stones.
GROWING LEAF SUCCULENTS
What is a succulent? A plant that stores and conserves water in one of its organs. The Latin word ‘sucus’ means juice or sap. They can also be called xerophytes: meaning plants adapted to arid conditions.
Cherry Crowden, home gardener
common; and albino forms are much in demand.
PropagationAloes can be grown from stem cuttings. Aloe arborescens, A. arenicola, A. ciliaris, A. Mitriformis, A. Pearsonii and A. striatula can simply be rooted in a very sandy medium. Most of the many-branched Aloe species that resemble shrublets can be treated in this way.
They can also be grown from truncheons (thick, branch-like cuttings). A. arborescens, A. barberae, A. ferox and A. plicatilis cuttings can be pushed into a sandy soil, which should be warm and moist.
Let aloe stem cuttings and truncheons lie for two to three weeks before striking them during the warm period of the year.
GROWING LEAF SUCCULENTS (Cont . . .)
In the Schonenberg Nursery, succulent plants are now being cultivated and propagated for use in landscaped areas and the Seep.
It seems that the fleshy-leaved aloes, mesembs (vygies), crassulas and cotyledons are particularly well-suited to our environment, despite the prevailing water restrictions.
Let’s take a closer look at these leaf succulents with the purpose of growing them in our own water-wise home gardens. ALOES
There are about 126 aloe species in South Africa. Aloe flower colours are normally oranges, reds and yellows; but red and white bicolours are also
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MESEMBS (VYGIES)
The mesembs make up the largest succulent plant family, Aizoaceae, including carpobrotus, e.g., Carpobrotus edulis (sour fig) which is a fantastic ground cover in impoverished soils, and glottiphyllums, which are easy to recognize by their fat, tongue-like leaves and glossy,
yellow flowers. They vary in shape, size and colour and originate in many different environments, some growing in deserts others in high-altitude alpine areas.
PropagationDrosanthemums and Lampranthus can be very easily cultivated from cuttings. Carpobrotus, which have a prostrate form, strike well from their lower parts. Long trailing pieces can be cut and layered in a sandy mixture, resulting in many small plantlets. The cuttings can also be struck in a pure, coarse washed river sand. The rooting medium must always be well drained. Strike cuttings during the warm season and ensure that the cuttings are
kept well ventilated.It is very important to use a very sharp knife for these plants - secateurs will crush the stem and a blunt knife will tear away the thin bark. A pruning knife is suggested for this purpose. The actual cut should be made just below the node - the point at which leaves and flowers are borne. CRASSULAS
The Crassulaceae (Crassula family) is a very large group of plants that are found all over the world in a variety of climates. In South Africa many of these species grow on the cooler southern slopes under bushes or over rocks or larger plants. And others
GRO
WIN
G LEA
F SUC
CU
LENTS (C
ont . . .)
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have adapted to harsh desert-like conditions. They flourish in different-sized containers and are ideal for rock gardens or mixed succulent bowls. The leaves occur in many colours - yellow, orange, grey, green and even red.
PropagationThis group is very easy to propagate from cuttings and most crassulas grow from a single leaf. The ideal time to root is during the warm months. Adequate air movement and 40% shade should be given. If you keep the cuttings moist, they will form roots in a matter of days. COTYLEDONSThe cotyledons, commonly known as ‘plakkies’, occur through most of Africa, often growing in
rocky terrain and forming clumps. These clump-forming varieties make ideal container plants. Some species have a waxy substance covering the large, oblong leaves, which protects them against water loss and severe winter temperatures. The waxy, bell-shaped, bright yellow and orange flowers are borne in winter or spring. PropagationCotyledons can also grow from a leaf, provided a small piece of the stem is attached. Tip and stem cuttings are very easy to cultivate and most vegetative parts will root in a sandy mixture, if they get enough warmth, light, moisture and ventilation.
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GROWING LEAF SUCCULENTS (Cont . . .)
Important criteria for successful propagation• Cuttings must be given adequate time to dry out (two weeks
in summer) and should be kept in shade. The severed ends can be sealed with tree sealer, flowers of sulphur or even powdered charcoal.
• Coarse, washed river sand is an ideal propagating medium or make / buy a friable soil mixture that drains well while still retaining some water.
• How much water the plants require depends on where they originate, but as a rule, less is more. Ideally, rain water should be used, but if unobtainable, we have to make do with municipal water. When water-starved, aloes fold their crowns inwards; crassulas and cotyledons take on a shrivelled appearance; and some plants become floppy.
• Ensure adequate air circulation and light in the growing area.
Remember 40% shade is best for all succulents except for mesembs, which need 20 - 30% shade.
Containers vs. open beds Many succulent plants can be shown off to their best in a pot. An important consideration when choosing a container for succulents is its capacity for drainage. It’s not always necessary to use chip stones / terracotta shards at the base of the container, if there are adequate drainage holes and an easy-draining potting medium is used.
In open beds it’s difficult to ensure adequate drainage, especially if you are gardening in clayey soils. A reasonable quantity of sharp sand should be added to the hole prepared for the plant and some compost.
Information source: Kirstenbosch Gardening Series “Grow Succulents” – A guide to the species, cultivation and propagation of South African succulents.
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Amount: R18 000Available: 1 March
Amount: R23 500Available: Immediately
RENTALRENTAL RENTALAmount: R28 000Available: 1 April
Nadine OdebdaalRental Consultant
T: +27(0) 21 855 0688
C: +27(0) 71 886 4128
T: +27(0) 21 855 0688
C: +27(0) 83 264 7086
Amount: R3 595 000schonenbergrealestate.co.za
Amount: R2 650 000schonenbergrealestate.co.za
FOR SALEFOR SALEAmount: RR3 595 000schonenbergrealestate.co.za
FOR SALE
Up to 10 times a year, the services of a professional bee remover are required on the Estate to remove bee swarms from irrigation valve boxes and other unwanted places. Recently, a volunteer bee enthusiast, Aubrey John de Villiers, who lives on our Estate, has offered to place empty catch hives in selected areas on the Estate on an experimental basis. The catch hives will be marked with appropriate signage.
Aubrey John de Villiers will monitor the catch hives on a weekly basis. Ten to
fourteen days after a bee swarm has moved in, the beehive will be relocated to a farm outside the Estate. A new catch hive will be put in place to replace the one removed.
It is planned to start with placing the first catch hives in the Seep.
After this specific learning phase, consideration will be given for the placement of permanent hives in safe and identified areas.
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ON THE ESTATE
HOME MAINTENANCE LINEA VALUE ADDED SERVICE TO ALL RESIDENTS
CLICK HERE TO REQUEST A PRO TODAY!
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NOISY DOMESTICSIt has come to our attention that certain domestic workers walk in groups to and from houses in the mornings and afternoons. We have received complaints about them making quite a noise, chatting, laughing and disturbing residents. We kindly request that you speak to your domestic workers about these complaints and ask them to be considerate when walking to and from their workplace by behaving in an orderly manner and by not causing a disturbance.
We hope that we have your cooperation in this matter. Thank you!
SECURITY
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CONTROL ROOM UPGRADEWe have appointed a contractor, HBP Construction and Painters, to upgrade the control room at the Main Gate. The project should take up to 2 weeks to complete, but we can assure you that none of the security procedures controlled from this room will be interrupted or affected. The main reasons for the upgrades are as follows: • The newly renovated control room will be in line with all health and safety aspects.
• We want to divide all the systems (cameras, electric fences and access control) to manage them more efficiently.
• Ergonomically, we want to make it more comfortable for the security guards to carry out their jobs.
• Lastly, we aspire to a world-class facility where the security services are able to monitor all systems effectively.
SECURITY ISSSUES ( Cont . . )
19 WAT
CH TH
IS SP
ACE!
SHORT-TERM RENTALSSHOA is proud of the residential character and culture established in the Estate and we are committed to promote and protect this as far as it is practically possible.
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Short Term Rentals (Cont . . .)
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• SHOA is therefore not supporting any business/commercial activities
at or from residential sites and on the Common Property within
Schonenberg or the lease of property for periods less than six (6)
months.
• Residents with needs and requirements that deviate from this ruling can
only do this by way of proper prior notification and official registration of
this requirement and undertakes/commits that they will follow all other
rules and regulations that apply for occupation. This includes entrance
and exit rules for the Estate, parking and behaviour rules on the Estate and
general conduct rules as in the Constitution and Code of Conduct.
• Should the Estate management receive a written complaint from any other
resident on the Estate, this matter will be investigated and reported to the
Board of Trustees (BOT).
• In the event that it is found that the complaint received is valid in terms
of the Constitution and Code of Conduct or that the behaviour at the site
constitutes a nuisance, the resident will be given a written warning and be
requested to resolve the complaint.
• If the complaint should re-occur, a further written warning and personal
interview will be scheduled to resolve the matter. If the problem persists
after this, the resident will be penalized in terms of the penalties adopted
by the BOT.
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By now most of you will have familiarized yourself with the new Visitors Manage-ment System (VMS) for either pre-clearing visitors/contractors using the APP or using a normal SMS sent from your phone. Statistics show an upward trend in the use of VMS, between 100 and 120 pre- cleared visitors enter the Estate on a daily basis. This not only reduces bottlenecks at both entrances to the Estate, especially the Waterstone Gate, but it also improves security control. At present, more than 40% of all users on the portal are users of the VMS.
We have experienced some technical problems, but can confirm that they have been resolved. If you experience any difficulty with the VMS, please inform us so that we can attend to your problem.
ONGOING PROJECTSVISITOR MANAGEMENT SYSTEM (VMS)
A project team is currently working on an action plan to encourage/promote the usage of the VMS, namely:
1. Surveys to determine why residents are still making use of the old card system.
2. Investigating a process/system of how best to accommodate the courier/delivery services into the Estate. These would include pharmacy and food deliveries and courier companies.
3. Continuous monitoring of the VMS for any practical / technical difficulties that might be experienced: however, we are confident that solutions are forthcoming and that the advan-tages outweigh the disadvantages by far.
4. Reviewing the visitors’ signage at the gates, but this can only be done once all outstanding is-sues have been resolved.
5. Reviewing the process on how to accommo-date access control for visitors to the Frail Care facility and similar situations.
If you have any suggestions on how to make it easier for residents who are not in the position to self-clear their guests to have access to and from the Estate, please send an email to [email protected]
Please note the following:1. Contractors need to register passengers with
their IDs at the gate, even if the contractor has pre-clearance.
2. We recommend that contractors / service pro-viders who visit regularly (more than three times), should also register themselves and their relevant employees at the Security office.
If you need any support, advice or train-ing, please visit us at the Estate Manager’s office at the Main Gate or contact Natasja Meets on PABX 9/ 021 855 4537.
The Estate Management would like to thank all residents for their support and patience.
This is a big change, but with teamwork we can and will succeed!
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ONGOING PROJECTS (Cont . . )
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We are happy to announce that the fibre network installation will start in February. The rollout will take place in a phased approach. As this is a major infrastructure upgrade within the Estate it is essential that we have effective communication in place. Consequently, posters/banners will be placed strategically to ensure that residents are aware of the areas where the contractor is currently working as well as where they will be working next.
We will be contacting residents to schedule appointments for the installations over the next 3 – 4 months. This will be for PABX services only.
FIBRE ROLLOUT
For those residents who wish to use fibre for other services you will need to contact an Internet Service Provider (ISP) and we are pleased to advise that you are offered freedom of choice when it comes to selecting an ISP to host your services. On the posters/banners there is a web address where residents can view the various ISPs and their respective offerings. The current service providers who are available on the network are listed on this website.
Please check each ISP’s once-off fees that may apply, as well as what is included in their services (phone line, Wi-Fi Router, contract term, etc). There are some service providers who will waiver the once-off service activation fee (usually charged at R 999!), if the services are signed up whilst the rollout contractor is still on site.
The signup website can be found at www.signup4fibre.co.za. Any queries
with regard to ISP signup can be addressed to the contractor, SADV, at [email protected] or phone them on (011) 390 7700.
If you have any queries regarding the fibre rollout, please contact Natasja Meets on PABX 9/ 021 855 4537 or visit us at the Estate Manager’s office at the Main Gate.
Don’t delay – join the Fibre Fast Broadband Super Highway today!
FIBRE ROLLOUT (Cont . . )
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TAKE THE LEAD ON YOUR SALES THIS
YEAR!Advertise your business
in the NEXT ISSUE!
Contact us for a list of Estates and pricing:
0861 017 424 | [email protected]
