NOVEMBER 2015 NEWSLETTER - Amazon S3s3.amazonaws.com/gloportalemag/marite/20151203/issue_2.pdf ·...

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NOVEMBER 2015 NEWSLETTER

Transcript of NOVEMBER 2015 NEWSLETTER - Amazon S3s3.amazonaws.com/gloportalemag/marite/20151203/issue_2.pdf ·...

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NOVEMBER 2015NEWSLETTER

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A division of GLOVent Solutions www.glovent.co.za

E-mail: [email protected]

ADVERTISING ENQUIRIES

Contact Our Sales Team

0861017424

Office: 012 656 0901

E-mail: [email protected]

Disclaimer: This eMagazine is produced especially for residents of Marite properties to provide updates and useful information. It is produced by GLOVent Media, a division of GLOVent Solutions, on behalf of Marite. Although every effort is taken to ensure accuracy of content, Marite and/or the Publisher, cannot be held liable for any inaccurate information, and may not agree with all opinions expressed in this publication.

C ONTENTSContact Info 03

Helderberg debit order competition 04

Marite day 28 August 08

De Hoop Golf Day 11

Is it your right or is it your responsibility? 12

Pork Roast Recipe 23

Gardeing Tips 25

Chocolate Mousse Recipe 28

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Burgundy EstatePhone: +27 (0)21 558 2320E-mail:[email protected] Est. Clubhouse, Viridian Street, Burgundy Estate

Cape WinelandsPhone: +27 (0)21 882 9061E-mail:[email protected] Place, Office 2, Cnr Bird Street and Merriman Avenue, Stellenbosch

HelderbergPhone: +27 (0)21 853 1017E-mail: [email protected] Pickle Street Strand

Northern SuburbsPhone: +27 (0)21 981 8090E-mail: [email protected] Unit 3 Bracken Manor, Paradys Street, Brackenfell

Residents are requested to also keep their contact details updated to be able to receive notices on meetings, statements, etc.

Marite Offices Contact Info:

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Congratulations to Mrs CL du Toit, the winner of the first R500 Mastercard voucher in our debit order competition. Marite Helderberg is currently running a debit order competition. Simply by switching over to debit order, you could stand a chance to win a R500 Mastercard voucher. There are three more R500 Mastercard vouchers to be won. We would also like to thank Sagepay for the prizes sponsored.

Photo: Wouter Coetzee handing over the R500 Mastercard voucher to Mrs CL du Toit, the first winner of the debit order competition.

Marite Helderberg debit order competition

winner for October 2015

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Marite Property Administrators wishes you a time filled with plenty of reasons to smile! May peace, happiness and goodwill be with you and your family not only on Christmas, but throughout the new year and beyond. Wishing you a merry Christmas, happy holidays and a prosperous New Year.

We have compiled a list of fun and festive family outings in and around Cape Town which come highly recommended.

Christmas Markets: • Edgemead Christmas Market, Edgemead, Cape Town. 5 – 21 December 2015

• Fab Ideas Christmas Gift Fair. Kommetjie, Cape Town. 11 – 16 December 2015

• Blaauklippen Twilight ChristmasMarket, Blaauklippen Farm, Stellenbosch. 15 – 19 December 201517:00 – 22:00

• Twilight Craft Market - Hermanus. 1 December 2015 – 20 January. 2015 Every Wednesday Night

• Root 44 Market – Audacia Wines, Stellenbosch. Every Saturday and Sunday

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Christmas Markets cont:

• Carols by CandlelightKirstenbosch Carols by Candlelight Concert – Kirstenbosch, Cape Town 17 – 20 December 2015. Details on the Kirstenbosch website

• Christmas Carols at LaborieLaborie Wines, Paarl. 4 December 2015. Tickets can be purchased on www.webtickets.co.za

• Carols by Candlelight HermanusOn the last Friday before Christmas at the Old Harbour Arena

• The traditional Festive Lights Switch

On Adderley Street, Cape Town takes place on 6 December and promises to be an evening of entertainment.

• The Somerset West Festival of Lights takes place between 2 – 5 December 2015 at 19:00 – 22:30 daily.

• For those with kiddies enjoying their holiday in Hermanus, Santa comes to Town on the evening of 16 December 2015. Santa will be bringing gifts for the little ones and a fun time will be had by all. Pre-booked tickets are available and enquiries can be directed to Hermanus Tourism.

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Please note that the Marite Head Office will be closing for the Festive Season from the 18th of December 2015 and will re-open on the 6th of January 2016.

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Marite day 28 August 2015On 28 August 2015 all four the Marite branches came together for the annual Marite day at the Strand Golf Club.The day kicked off with a seminar on “How to handle difficult clients” presented by the well-known Reinhard Moors from “The Outerbox Thinking”. We all learned something new that we can use every day to make sure we provide excellent client service.

It’s important to us that we keep up to date with all the new rules and regulations and we annually attend to the sectional tittle course presented by Tertius Certificates for all those who successfully completed the Tertius Maree course in 2015 were handed out by Tertius Maree. A big congratulations again to all.After a delicious lunch it was time for fun and we enjoyed a “chocolate and wine” paring presented by VP Truffle and Louisvale Winery.

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The day was made possible thanks

to our sponsors and we would

just like to take this opportunity to

thank the following people again:

Prominent Paint, Reno Roofs and

THC Building. As well as Rianna

Willemse Attorneys, Pyper Turner

Auditors, The Back Office, Rent-

Rite, Kaaplandse Makelaars and

Kaaplandse Makelaars together

with Santam who sponsored the

gifts for the lucky draw.

Marite day cont:

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De Hoop Golf Day sponsored by Marite Helderberg and Cape WinelandsCongratulations to Mr Stompie Buys, winner of the “Marshmallow Longest Drive” competition at De Hoop Golf Day held on the 6th of November 2015 . Marite Property Administrators and Rent-Rite sponsored the 9th hole Golf Day. Ms Nicky Rossouw from Marite presented the prize to Mr Buys.

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Is it your right or is it your responsibility? ”NO SOCIETY CAN WORK UNLESS IT MEMBERS FEEL RESPONSIBILITY AS WELL AS RIGHTS” –RICHARD LAYARD

Since 1994 the only expression people seem to use is, it is my right! And yes it is a wonderful thing to have rights, but we seem to forget that with rights come responsibilities.

As a practicing attorney, I often come across owners in sectional title schemes who feel that the Body Corporate is obliged to perform certain duties. That is true in terms of the Sectional Titles Act, Act 95 of 1986 (as amended) (the Act), the trustees as the representatives of the Body Corporate have certain functions and responsibilities which they must comply with: such as raising

of levies and the collecting of it, insure the buildings and common property, maintain and/or improve the common property etc.

However to operate as a successful Body Corporate or scheme all members must work together to promote and enforce standards, not the least of which would be the congenial atmosphere in the area, in such a way that the members may derive the maximum collective benefit and therefore, rights, responsibilities and duties must be clearly defined.

As an owner, it is your responsibility to pay your levies to enable the trustees to perform their duties. Your responsibility does not stop there; you have to abide by the rules of the Body Corporate. One of the rules in the Act clearly states that an owner has the responsibility to repair and maintain his own Section.

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In terms of rule 70 if an owner fails a) to repair or maintain his section in a state of good repair as required by section 44(1)(c) of the act; or

b) Fails to maintain adequately any area of the common property allocated for his exclusive use and enjoyment.

And any such failure persists for a period of thirty days after the giving of written notice to repair or maintain given by the trustees or the managing agent on their behalf, the body corporate shall be entitled to remedy the owner’s failure and to recover the reasonable cost of doing so from such owner.”

Rule 70, clearly stipulate that an owner has an obligation to repair and/or maintain the inside of his Section. For example if your

shower- or balcony leaks, or your window is broken, you must repair and maintain it as set out in the Act.

The question is raised, why the Body Corporate has the right to interfere in the inside of a Section? My answer would be that the legislator knew that he had to make provision to enable the Body Corporate to ensure that should an owner fail to maintain his property the Body Corporate can remedy the situation. Especially where the situation creates damage to another owner and/or to prevent the building from deteriorating to such an extent that the rest of the owner’s investment decrease.

Therefore I am of the opinion that we must first take up our responsibilities and only then, can we demand our rights!

Written By Rianna SolmsRianna Willemse Attorneys

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Safety and Security Tips over the Festive SeasonAs it is the holiday season, we would like to ask all residents to be extra aware of the people coming in, walking around, etc.We strongly urge all residents to make the necessary arrangements to secure their property with either safety gates and/or alarm systems. Also, residents must be vigilant to any suspicious persons in and around the complex or Estate and be aware of tailgating when driving in and out of complexes. If you are planning on going away, please inform your neighbour. This is to ensure that they are aware that you are not there and to keep an eye on your unit and belongings.

All residents should be alert to any of the following: • Do not leave notes on the door, underneath the carpet or in the post box to indicate that you are away.

• Do not leave hidden keys.• Leave your house key with a trusted neighbor or the key holder (as registered with ADT) so that access can be gained in an emergency.• Do not leave only the outside lights on as this is usually an indication to would be intruders that the house is not occupied.• Leave lights on and the radio playing as this gives the impression that the house is occupied.• Advise your security company if you are going away and ensure that you supply all the necessary information regarding nearby key holders, in case of an emergency.• Inform your neighbors of your holiday plans so that they can keep an eye on your property.• Stop all newspaper deliveries and ask a friend or neighbour to collect your post. A bulging post box is a dead giveaway that you are not at home.

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• Double check that you have locked and secured all windows and doors before leaving home.• Ensure that all your outside locks are a minimum of four lever locks or double cylinder security locks.• Never leave a key in the inside of an outer door which has glass panels or glass near the door lock.• Having security gates fitted on outer doors is a highly effective security measure that gives you an extra line of defense.• Sliding doors can be secured simply by placing a piece of timber cut to size in the sliding rail. Make sure that sliding doors cannot be lifted vertically.• Full fencing and sturdy gates are a good deterrent.• Have good exterior lighting, preferably on a timer.• Do not leave tools like ladders or spades outside, as they can be used to break into your house.• Clear signage indicating that you have security also helps to discourage burglars.• Report suspicious vehicles that don’t belong in the

complex.• Report suspicious persons that are walking inside the complex from door to door with no apparent reason.• Be alert to your surroundings whenever in the Estate.• Don’t leave any cell phones, I-Pads or Laptops where they are visible or in vehicles.• All residents are responsible to insure their personal belongings.

We ask that all residents report any suspicious activity no matter how small, inside and outside of your complex or Estate to the closest Police Station.

Safety and Security tips cont:

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Are the new regulations regarding repairs, maintenance and reserves too cumbersome? By Jacques Maree

The long awaited regulations to the Sectional Title Scheme Management Act were published for comment on 2nd October 2015. The dead-line for the

submission of comments has already expired but I thought it pertinent to place the proposed regulations regarding repairs, maintenance and reserves under the spotlight. These are still, however, subject to change.

Regulation 2 states as follows:

Minimum amounts for reserve fund

2. For the purposes of section 3(1)(b) of the Act, the minimum amount of the annual contribution to the reserve fund for a financial year being budgeted for, other than the financial year budgeted for at the first general meeting referred to in section 2(8) of the Act, must be determined as follows:

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New Regulations cont:

(a) If the amount of money in the reserve fund at the end of the previous financial year is less than 25 per cent of the total contributions to the administrative fund for that previous financial year, the budgeted contribution to the reserve fund must be at least 15 per cent of the total budgeted contribution to the administrative fund;

(b) if the amount of money in the reserve fund at the end of the previous financial year is equal to or greater than 100 per cent of the total contributions to the administrative fund for that previous financial year,

there is no minimum contribution to the reserve fund; and

(c) if the amount of money in the reserve fund at the end of the previous financial year is more than 25 per cent but less than 100 per cent of the total contributions to the adminis-trative fund for that previous financial year, the budgeted contribution to the reserve fund must be at least the amount budgeted to be spent from the administrative fund on repairs and maintenance to the common property in the financial year being budgeted for.

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New Regulations cont:

At first glance it appears quite confusing but if studied carefully can be explained by way of the following example:

Category ASt. Ombudsman body corporate consists of 20 units. Its financial year end is 30 June. The amount in reserves on 30th June 2015 is R 20 000. The next AGM is held on 18th August 2015. The total contributions (levies - monthly and special) paid to the Body Corporate the previous year (1st July 2014 to 30th June 2015) is R 100 000. In terms of the new budget R 150 000 in levies stand to be collected from owners.

It is clear that the amount in reserves is less than 25% of the levies collected the previous year. R 100 000 was collected and the reserve amount is R 20 000, that is 20%. At the AGM on 18th August 2015 the body corporate has to budget for a minimum of 15% of the new levy budget, that is R 22 500 (R150 000 x 15 / 100). In effect the body corporate would have to budget for R 172 500).

Category BIn this instance the body corporate has R 120 000 in reserves on 30th June 2015. Otherwise, the same figures apply.

The amount in reserves (R 120 000) is higher than the contributions recovered in the previous year (R 100 000). In this instance the body corporate would not have to budget for reserves.

Category CThe same figures apply except that the reserves as on 30th June 2015 is R 40 000. This is more than 25% of the levies recovered the previous year but less than the total levies (R 100 000). It is 40%.

In this instance the body corporate would have to at least budget for an amount equal to estimated repairs and maintenance expenses in relation to the common property for the 2015/2016 financial year.

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New Regulations cont: I am personally very positive regarding the proposed amendments which would not only save costs but may ultimately ensure that unit values are preserved or enhanced. I do, however, foresee some teething problems in the beginning as this would result in very high levies for schemes that do not have sufficient reserves when the regulations come into effect.

Another potential problem is that the above regulation must be read in conjunction with proposed management rule 22, which states as follows:

22. Maintenance, repair and replacement plan

(1) A body corporate must prepare a written maintenance, repair and replacement plan for the common property, setting out—

(a) the major capital items expected to require maintenance, repair and replacement within the next 10 years;

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New Regulations cont:

(b) the present condition or state of repair of those items;

(c) the time when those items or components of those items will need to be maintained, repaired or replaced;

(d) the estimated cost of the maintenance, repair and replacement of those items or components;

(e) the expected life of those items or components once maintained, repaired or replaced; and

(f) any other information the body corporate considers relevant.

(2) The annual contribution to the reserve fund for the

maintenance, repair or replacement of each of the major capital items must be determined according to the following formula: [(estimated cost minus past contribution) divided by expected life].

(3) A maintenance, repair and replacement plan takes effect on its approval by the members in general meeting; provided that on approval of such a plan, members may lay down conditions for the payment of money from the reserve fund.

(4) The trustees must report the extent to which the approved maintenance, repair and replacement plan has been implemented to each annual general meeting.

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New Regulations cont:

Sub-rule (2) provides for the determination of the amount to be allocated to reserves, but it is conceivably possible that the amount determined in accordance herewith may be more that the minimum reserve amounts prescribed in terms of regulation 2 specified above. In my view it should then be construed that the body corporate has to budget for a minimum reserve which is greater or equal to the highest amount calculated in terms of regulation 2 or management rule 22(2). It is envisaged that the above regulations may be tweaked prior to coming into operation as they are somewhat confusing.

The Repairs, Maintenance and Replacement plan is a great idea, especially if you are a project manager or maintenance specialist. This plan must be drawn up and presented to members in general meeting. Obviously it must be revised from time to time which means that the aforementioned project manager or specialist would have to be employed by the body corporate annually.

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New Regulations cont:

However, the intention of the plan is good that is to budget more effectively and to preserve unit values. The only drawback is the additional costs.

In terms of the new proposed regulations the reserve fund must be managed and administered separately from the administrative (normal) fund. The trustees are furthermore restricted in utilising the fund, which may ultimately only be used for repairs and maintenance items as planned. This provision is rather rigid as there are other unforeseen expanses that may arise, for example that the body corporate must pay out a substantial package to a dismissed employee in terms of an award issued by the CCMA, or it has to defend

legal action in the High Court instituted by an owner or the developer. How are these expenses going to get paid? In practice the body corporate would probably have to budget for an Administrative reserve in addition to the Repairs and Maintenance reserve. All this would come at a cost.

Repairs and Maintenance is bound to become rather complicated when the new regulations come into operation but the difficulties would hopefully be short-lived and cost saving in the long run. Trustees and Managing agents are advised to familiarise themselves with the provisions of the new regulations as soon as they come into effect. Time will be of the essence.

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Pork and fruit is a classic pairing around the world, but this dish gets a particularly Catalan flavour from the combination of dried fruit and Sausage in the stuffing. The stuffing cooks inside the roast, which gives it a deep, marvellously porky flavour.

Ingredients • ¼ cup pine nuts• ¼ cup walnut halves• 1 cup brandy• 12 dried apricots• 12 pitted prunes• 1 teaspoon finely grated orange zest• 500g Italian sausage• ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil• 4 garlic cloves, minced• Salt and freshly ground pepper• Two 6-rib pork loin roasts• 1 ½ teaspoons minced thyme• 1 ½ teaspoons minced rosemary• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour• 2 cups chicken stock

Pork Roast with Sausage, fruit and nut stuffing

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Preparation:1.Preheat the oven to 350°. Spread the pine nuts and walnuts in a pre-plate and bake for about 3 minutes, until lightly toasted. Coarsely chop the walnuts.

2.In a small saucepan, bring the brandy to a simmer. Add the apricots, cover and simmer for 2 minutes. Add the prunes and orange zest. Remove from the heat and let stand for 20 minutes. With a slotted spoon, transfer the fruit to a work surface. Simmer the brandy over moderately high heat until reduced to ¼ cup, about 7 minutes. Cut the apricots and prunes into quarters.

3.In a medium nonstick skillet, cook the sausage over moderate heat, breaking it up with a spoon, until almost no pink remains, about 5 minutes. Transfer the sausage to a food processor and process until finely ground. Transfer to a large bowl.

4.Heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil in the skillet. Add the garlic and cook over moderate heat until fragrant, about 3 minutes. Add to the sausage in the bowl, along with the nuts, apricots, prunes and the reduced brandy and season with salt and

pepper.

5.Carve a 1 ½ cm pocket along the length of each roast, sliding the knife between the bones and the meat. Fill the pockets with the stuffing. Put the roasts on a large rimmed baking sheet, rib bones up. Rub the roasts with the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Sprinkle the roasts with the thyme and rosemary and season with salt and pepper.

6.Roast the meat for about 1 hour and 45 minutes, rotating the baking sheet halfway through, until an instant-read thermometer inserted in the thickest part registers 140°. Transfer the roasts to a carving board and let rest for 15 to 20 minutes.

7.Tilt the baking sheet and pour off most of the fat. Put the baking sheet over moderate heat. Sprinkle the flour over the sheet and stir in ½ cup of the chicken stock, scraping up the browned bits. Transfer to a medium saucepan and whisk in the remaining 1 ½ cups of stock. Simmer over low heat, whisking often, until the gravy is thickened and no floury taste remains, about 5 minutes. Pour into a gravy boat.

Pork Roast cont:

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Gardening Tips: Love the garden? These tips will help you creating your dream garden.

1. To remove the salt deposits that form on clay pots, combine equal parts white vinegar, rubbing alcohol and water in a spray bottle. Apply the mixture to the pot and scrub with a plastic brush. Let the pot dry before you plant anything in it.

2. To prevent accumulating dirt under your fingernails while you work in the garden, draw your fingernails across a bar of soap and you’ll effectively seal the undersides of your nails so dirt can’t collect beneath them. Then, after you’ve finished in the garden, use a nailbrush to remove the soap and your nails will be sparkling clean.

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3. To prevent the line on your string trimmer from jamming or breaking, treat with a spray vegetable oil before installing it in the trimmer.

4. Turn a long-handled tool into a measuring stick! Lay a long-handled garden tool on the ground, and next to it place a tape measure. Using a permanent marker, write inch and foot marks on the handle. When you need to space plants a certain distance apart (from just an inch to several feet) you’ll already have a measuring device in your hand.

5. To have garden twine handy when you need it, just stick a ball of twine in a small clay pot, pull the end of the twine through the drainage hole, and set the pot upside down in the

garden. Do that, and you’ll never go looking for twine again.

6. Little clay pots make great cloches for protecting young plants from sudden, overnight frosts and freezes.

7. To turn a clay pot into a hose guide, just stab a roughly one-foot length of steel reinforcing bar into the ground at the corner of a bed and slip two clay pots over it: one facing down, the other facing up. The guides will prevent damage to your plants as you drag the hose along the bed.

8. To create perfectly natural markers, write the names of plants (using a permanent marker) on the flat faces of stones of various sizes and place them at or near the base

of your plants.

9. Got aphids? You can control them with a strong blast of water from the hose or with insecticidal soap. But here’s another suggestion, one that’s a lot more fun; get some tape! Wrap a wide strip of tape around your hand, sticky side out, and pat the leaves of plants infested with aphids. Concentrate on the undersides of leaves, because that’s where the little buggers like to hide.

10. The next time you boil or steam vegetables, don’t pour the water down the drain, use it to water potted patio plants, and you’ll be amazed at how the plants respond to the “vegetable soup.”

Gardening Tips cont:

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11. Use leftover tea and coffee grounds to acidify the soil of acid-loving plants such as azaleas, rhododendrons, camellias, gardenias and even blueberries. A light sprinkling of about one-quarter of an inch applied once a month will keep the pH of the soil on the acidic side.

12. Use chamomile tea to control damping-off fungus, which often attacks young seedlings quite suddenly. Just add a spot of tea to the soil around the base of seedlings once a week or use it as a foliar spray.

13. If you need an instant table for tea service, look no farther than your collection of clay pots and saucers. Just flip a good-sized pot over, and top it off with a large saucer. And when you’ve had your share of tea, fill the saucer with water, and your “table” is now a birdbath.

14. The quickest way in the world to dry herbs: just lay a sheet of newspaper on the seat of your car, arrange the herbs in a single layer, then roll up the windows and close the doors. Your herbs will be quickly dried to perfection. What’s more, your car will smell great.

Gardening Tips cont:

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Chocolate Mousse and Cherry Trifle

This easy trifle swaps traditional custard for chocolate mousse, brownie bites and black cherries in kirsch… Serves 12 – 16 guests // Preparation Time: 20 minutes plus chilling. Ingredients • 250g dark chocolate• 275g pack mini chocolate brownies• 2 x 390g jars black cherries in kirsch, drained reserving 4-5tbs of the liquid• 6 large free-range eggs, separated• 100g dark chocolate thins • 300ml double cream• Cocoa powder and edible glitter, to serve

You will need:•A large trifle dish

Preparation:• Start by making the mousse. Melt the chocolate in a heatproof bowl over a pan of gently simmering water, set aside to cool.• Meanwhile, arrange the brownies in a layer at the base of the dish, top with the cherries and the reserved liquid from the cherries.• Mix together the cooled melted chocolate and egg yolks until combined (be careful not to over mix as it will become too stiff). Whisk the egg whites until stiff, then gently fold into the chocolate mixture. Set aside to firm up in the fridge for 30 minutes before loosening again by mixing lightly, then spoon over the trifle. Set aside in the fridge for at least another 30 minutes.

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Page 30: NOVEMBER 2015 NEWSLETTER - Amazon S3s3.amazonaws.com/gloportalemag/marite/20151203/issue_2.pdf · 2015-12-03 · The day kicked off with a seminar on “How to handle ... winner of