The March drink specialties are an ode to the irish, to celebrate St.Patty’s day! There are four to try out and they won’t disappoint. We have a new twist on the classic Irish Coffee, called the “Kiss me I’m Irish”. With the added touch of Kahlua flavoring, it’s divine. The Nutty Irish Cappuccino has a hazelnut background and the Dublin Fog, is a peppermint tea with steamed chocolate milk. And lastly, the Irish Chai is a classic chai latte with irish cream. And of course all the drinks come dressed with delicious whipped cream topping. Come check them out…
There’s a general rule of thumb to deciding whether you’re over watering or under watering your houseplants. You need to check the leaf of the plant. If the tip is browning, called tip kill, your plant is over watered. Let the plant dry out and it should come back. If the outside edge of the plant is browning, the plant is too dry. Stick your thumb in it and test the plants’ soil instead of watering on a schedule! Poke your finger into the soil until about an inch below the surface or up to your first knuckle. If the soil feels dry to the touch, it’s time to water. If it’s still damp, wait a day or two and test again.
When starting seeds indoors for spring planting, timing is very important. The plants need to be large enough to move outdoors at the normal planting time, without being spindly and overgrown. Check out this website that gives great ideas on how to start seeding and keeping yourself organized.
Because this is an American webiste, I’ve also inserted the link to the The Old Farmer’s Almanac for the projected best planting dates for this year in our area. Remember to take it all with a grain of salt and if you’re a seasoned gardener and have your own personal timeline that works for you, go for it!
I got the pleasure of accompanying Erna on her annual buying trip to Atlanta this January and it has got me so exicited for all of the new product that we’re carrying. Boxes and boxes are arriving daily and the garden store is filling up quickly. Whether it’s scarves or new jewellery, clocks or wall art or lamps. We’re now starting a whole kitchen corner with interesting serving dishes (from The Rachael Ray line), table linens, aprons, teapots, coffee mugs, and much more. Come check it out! I’ll also be featuring some of our new product on the website and blog, so visit us often!
So I thought I’d let you in on a little secret…it’s not just Erna contributing to Erna’s blog. For those of you who know her well, and even if you don’t, you’ve probably been wondering where she finds the time to chat online. Hi! My name is Megan and I’m Erna’s youngest daughter. I’ve taken on the role of updating the Oakridge website and relaying her thoughts and tidbits on her blog. I also come up with some of the content on my own and so if you want to stump her on something….ask her about a specific blog from whenever and see her reaction. You’ll get her nervous laugh and she’ll probably change the subject and offer you a latte.
I’m around the Cafe and Greenhouse often, my husband Pierre works there as well, and you’ve probably seen my son Sam running around, or Elliott, attached to Erna’s hip. If you see me, and have something you’d love to see added to the website, or a question answered on the blog, FEEL FREE! We’d love it! Email us as well, your feedback as our customers is vital and we truely appreciate it!
You need to come check out the new travel mug series that we’re carrying and totally excited about. They have double-wall insulation, which means that they keep drinks HOT or COLD for up to 6 hours. No joke! They are also dishwasher and microwave safe. So you can heat up your coffee again (if you haven’t finished it in 6 hrs, I’m not sure you’d want to reheat it….) without having to put it into another mug. It’s also guaranteed for LIFE and made in Minneapolis..not quite local, but better than China. Plus they’re stylish and we’ve got a ton of different varieties.
We are also carrying the giftcraft ceramic travel mugs again, which have always been a huge hit. They have great sayings that make everyone smile.
Do you feel the love in the air?? Valentine’s is over and the Dylan Cash concert was awesome. The house was packed and Dylan was crooning love ballads, setting the stage for the day to come. He is a very passionate, and uniquely gifted songwriter, pulling you into his stories. Which is so fitting, that the favorite drink of the evening was the amore mocha. Have a great day everyone!
Dylan Cash concerts are fast approaching. We’ve been looking forward to this for a while now and the tickets are going fast! There are some still available for the Sunday, 7:30pm show! As always, there’ll be great eats and tasty desserts and drinks. Make it a date, it’s Valentine’s after all!
Indoor plant propagation is a great way to give you your gardening “fix” when there’s still snow on the ground. It’s also a great way to show thanks to school teachers and friends, if you don’t want or need more “baby” plants in your house. It’s so easy, and the extra pruning stimulates new growth and increases the health in the existing plant.
With a sharp pair of pruners or kitchen scissors, cut a leaf off of your plant at the base of the stem. Place the cutting in a small glass container of water with suitable natural light. Roots should form within several weeks depending on the type of plant. When you have significant root growth, remove the cutting from the water and pot. Pay close attention to water levels, small pots tend to dry out quicker, and the “baby plant” needs a little extra TLC!
Design Sponge is one of my favorite websites that has TONS of ideas. I’ve always thought that hanging artwork is something that just takes confidence, especially when designing your own personal gallery. Check this out to get inspired, and go with it!
