Silly Bee. . .That's Me!

Hello my friends,
sometimes I have to laugh at what a silly bee I am!
 
Yup, every now and then I get a silly idea in my head and it just won't stop buzzing around until I do something about it.  :)
 



 
A couple years ago I went on a garden tour with some of my friends.  As we were driving to find one of the homes we passed a field with a bunch of bee boxes.
 
I snapped this photo.
 
 
I couldn't get the image of those chippy boxes out of my head.  I had a bee box crush, that's for sure!!
 
Not wanting to have to take on the large task of caring for bees I pushed it out of my mind.
 
Recently, bee box images just kept popping back into my head.
I decided I had to have some in my garden, even if they were just for fun!
 


When I told my youngest daughter, she said, "mom, you're going to have fake bee boxes in your garden?"
 
That got me thinking that maybe I would need to do something with them. 
 
 
Well, I got my bee boxes and I did just that!
 
I went on line and could not find any for sale that looked old and chippy.  Never fear!  I did the next best thing and I went to good old face book.  All it took was putting an ISO (in search of) on Vintage Yard Sale Utah and I got a couple of replies.
 
 
I was hoping for a more colorful stack, but I'm loving it just the same.  I debated about painting a few, but decided to leave as is.  I bought the pale pink and white one from one gal and the other three cream ones from another lady.

 
Hubby added a couple wooden bars about 2/3rds of the way down on the inside of the top box.  He then cut a piece of plyboard to slide down onto them.  He drilled drainage holes and I filled it with potting soil.  Then came the fun part.  I placed a thrift find metal beehive on top and surrounded it with succulents.  I even had a couple left to plant inside the hive.
 
No sooner did I get it planted than the bees started buzzin.  (wink)

 
It's tucked up on the hill by the side of our garden.  I finished it just before dusk.  I think the sun was telling me he liked it!
 
 
This is  a wider view.  It sits at the back of our firepit.  I love that I can see it from almost anywhere in the garden.


This view shows you where they are in relation to hilltop cottage.
As you can see, all of the flowers have been cut back in front.  In just a few weeks there will be new growth and I'll get
 a second bloom.

 
I'll leave you with a couple of other images of gorgeous bee boxes.
 
 
 Now this certainly couldn't help but brighten your day.
 

 
 
What do you think, are you thinking maybe you want some bee boxes of your own?  :)
 
BEE Happy,

I will be sharing with these fun parties:
 
 

14 comments

NanaDiana said...

Love it- I grew up on a working farm and we had bee hives that my uncle-next farm over- maintained. We had lots of honey on the menu at home. Don't be too surprised if real bees find their way inside somehow. lol xo Diana

Rose L said...

Such a cute idea! Love the colors of all the bee boxes.

JoyceG said...

I love everything about this! I wonder if I can find some of those boxes and create a stack.....hmmm

happyone said...

What a great idea and they make for an interesting addition to your already beautiful garden.

Powell River Books said...

They make a very unique planter. Love it. Now I have a bee box image in my head. I just discovered your garden party link up and am trying it for the first time. Hope you enjoy seeing my floating garden. - Margy

AnnMarie aka Vintage Junkie aka NaNa said...

Oh my! That last picture sent me straight to Craigslist and then FB Marketplace and there are 0 bee boxes in my area! :-( I love how they look stacked in your garden. It is quite a unique piece and looks great where you have it.

Sarah said...

Jann, I think your bee box idea is brilliant! I love your spirit of adventure. Thanks for sharing this charming idea.

Old Time Cindy said...

Hmmm...you make me smile. Never thought of using the hive boxes as décor. You know me, though! I'm more into keeping my bees than just having the boxes. I love my bees!

Creations By Cindy said...

Oh my mercy! I do love your bee boxes! And I am laughing my head off at what your daughter ask you? That sound just like one of my daughters and me! I love how you used them and added so much beauty to them. I hope you have a wonderful 4th of July dear lady. Hugs and blessings, Cindy

Gingham Gardens said...

I love your "silly bee" ideas! I call them visions. And yes, most of the time my visions or "silly bee" ideas won't let me rest... or, my husband either until I work them out in the form of something creative.

Pom Pom said...

I think I DO need some bee boxes! They'd look so cute in my garden! Smart!

Jeanie said...

This is too darned charming for words, Jann! I love the bee boxes. Love 'em to bits. They look great with the plants and your whole garden is adorable!

Katie Mansfield said...

This is too precious. I love them. So cute. Thanks for linking them up to Keep In Touch.

Liz said...

So cute! I love the little beehive ornament. I found this post via Pinterest because I had the same idea to turn 2 old bee boxes I found into a planter. Did you do anything to secure them together or just stacked them?

Instagram