Monthly Archives: April 2016

Using Your Garden As A Source Of Nutrition

As the saying goes, “We only have one Earth, look after it.” It is up to every individual to play their part when it comes to being eco-friendly.

It has become so easy to sit in front of the TV during one’s leisure time, but with May being Energy Month, South Africans are being encouraged to reduced their electricity consumption, and although there are many ways to do this, one way that the Granny Mouse Team suggest, is to get out into your garden.

According to Mark Robson, the Granny Mouse Gardener and Landscaper, “if you know nothing about gardening, start your adventure with the earth by planting a vegetable garden, which if you take seriously, could allow you to live sustainably. Planting vegetables is the best starting point to learn more about gardening, and the benefits of growing one’s own vegetables can become a great source of nutrition for you and your entire family.

Not sure what to plant? Robson suggests planting an array of hardy vegetables and fruits that will also add colour to your garden, such as some Swiss chard with its purple, orange or yellow stalks, and bright green to purple leaves, or some fruit trees, which will also attract birds into your garden. “Herbs are also great to plant, and most add wonderful fragrances to your garden, and don’t require immense gardening knowledge to grow.” adds Robson.

Besides the health benefits of growing your own food, spending time outdoors and being eco-friendly, gardening has many more benefits that are good for the soul, such as being a successful way to reduce stress and to get a little exercise.

Take the first step in being eco-friendly as plant your vegetable garden today.

Capturing a real life journey at Granny Mouse!

As the saying by Ralph Waldo Emerson goes, “Love is like wildflowers; It’s often found in the most unlikely places.”

This too, is true for Melissa and Hennie Ferreira – newlyweds who chose to celebrate their wedding at Granny Mouse Country House & Spa this year.

Hennie and Melissa, both from Secunda, met four years ago after a brief encounter on a local Secunda Church’s social media platform. Hennie had seen a photograph of Melissa and decided to make contact with her. Although it had been years since she had seen him, Melissa had remembered him as she had performed Ballet with his sister when growing up.

“By grace, our relationship grew for two years via long distance relationship as Hennie was in Secunda at the time and I was in Pretoria studying towards a Law Degree,” Melissa said.

Hennie then decided that it was time for him to relocate to Pretoria to establish his business – where they currently both work and live out their passion to grow local businesses and fight poverty.

Once Hennie had proposed to Melissa, they immediately started seeking out venues to host their wedding. A friend of Melissa’s had described a Fairy-tale wedding venue in the Midlands and encouraged them to see that venue first. The couple arranged a weekend to meet with Ane Du Preez, the Operations Manager who is in charge of the Banqueting Department – to see the venue and discuss the packages on offer. “It was love at first sight. Although the Midlands is so rich with the most beautiful wedding venues, we looked no further. Granny Mouse had everything we dreamt of to make our day unforgettable,” she added.

According to the couple, there were a number of features that reassured them that Granny Mouse was their chosen venue – from the extravagantly beautiful landscape and the chapel that displays it like a living portrait, to the well maintained gardens and facilities. “My mom once said that if you don’t believe in fairies and gnomes you should just go walk around Granny Mouse’s Gardens,” Melissa said, “I also found that the wedding packages were reasonable and made it possible to spoil our family for the entire weekend. Plus the professionalism of the Chef’s providing a complete fine-dining menu, was unmatchable,” she concluded.

With weddings being such an integral part of the Granny Mouse offering; attention to detail is key.

Having chosen a weekend wedding package for their big day, the couple were ecstatic to have their family guests that stayed over, talking continuously about their experience.

“The family really enjoyed themselves. Everything was faultless – from the flowers everywhere in one’s room to the friendly service and willingness to help no matter what, in order to make our special day stress free and perfect. Plus, Granny Mouse offered to help in a variety of departments. They helped us find our photographer, DJ and wedding flowers. Decor was also arranged with the help of Granny Mouse providing us with their preferred suppliers list. We couldn’t have chosen more professional people ourselves,” Melissa added.

Granny Mouse Country House & Spa take pride in offering a one-stop shop for all wedding requirements and the Ferreira wedding is testament to this.

The couple recommend Granny Mouse to any couple that’s looking for an intimate wedding and who loves the countryside. “Choose Granny Mouse if you would like to have a wedding that will have lasting memories not only for the bride and groom, but for everyone attending as well,” Melissa  concluded.

Now that their special day is over, the couple still have the fond memories to reminisce upon and look forward to starting a family and extend the Ferreira name, in the near future.

Give Ane Du Preez a call on 033 234 4071 to discuss your wedding needs and budget and she will arrange to make your wedding a lasting memory!